10/06/2025
๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ธ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ข๐ธ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐ฉ๐ช
I dusted off a few photos.
And Iโm happy to share this memory.
We were stationed in Germany.
At first, we lived off-base in a small village called Jettenbach.
Our girls were 2 and 3, and curious.
One afternoon, while we were unpacking, our three-year-old went exploring.
Soon after, her two-year-old sister followed.
Just like that, the blind led the blind.
Thankfully, our neighbor Karl saw them.
He brought them safely home.
From that moment, Karl became our Opa.
And his wife Anna became our Oma.
Over the next three years, we shared life together.
BBQs, dinners, birthdays.
World Cup matches and military promotions.
And when it mattered, we showed up for each other.
In this photo, Sydney wears a real Dirndl.
We were on our way to visit Opa in the Krankenhaus (hospital).
Naturally, his smile said it all.
It brightened his dayโand ours. ๐ฅ๐
The biggest lesson Germany gave me?
โIch liebe dichโ.
It means โI love youโ.
After a three-day reset, those words feel different.
Stronger. Safer. More resolute.
So yesโ It feels so good to say "Iโm back".
Und: ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐. ๐