reBuilding a Foundation

reBuilding a Foundation

My mother and her brother desperately wanted a fresh new start, away from the brutal memories of the war. So they began their journey to the south of Germany. Their cousins had connections for work in Stuttgart.
There they were, four spunky teengers, full of hope and a drive for adventure. With the war far behind, it seemed there were many new things to discover in the world.
They quickly came up with a plan to travel to Canada. Each day they counted their money. One day they bought their plane tickets for the big trip.
My mother was thrilled to leave Germany. She desperately wanted a new life. In Canada she married her brothers best friend and they had three kids, my half brothers and sister. They lived at 41st East Street on the Hamilton Mountain.
During the 60s love was everywhere. While hippies were exploring their love, my uncle Johann wanted to return to his girlfriend in Germany. Mom was determined not to return to Germany, so she set out to find a job.
At the local coffee shop; Mr. Tim Horton was charmed by her shy smile and immediately gave her a job. He took a chance on this woman with a thick German accent and the customers quickly fell in love with "Gitta".
The regular customers taught her english, a little more every day. Even with three small children and a very unsettled marriage, she was able to stay focused on her goal to remain in Canada.
The children taught her english from their school books and in turn, she read the daily comics with them. We adopted her accent, and we spoke very little German. We perfectly understood our mothers unique blend of German, Russian and English.
Gittas language barrier became frustrating but it was great fun to watch her persevere because was passionate about making a point. This stubborness has been carried down through generations and now I see it in my young son.
She taught us kids dedication; to follow something through - to make a point - to achieve a goal. To conquer limits and fears - to achieve something beyond our greatest imagination. And when everything is lost, or taken away, rebuild a foundation. Or build a new dream.
When mom's family lost their property and possessions during the war, she learned to trust God. When their foundation crumbled, they perservered, determined to make a life for themselves.
Throughout her life, mom had to rebuild her foundation a number of times. After all, trauma and misfortune are just a part of life. She was always passionate to help people, no matter what their status. She taught me; with God nothing is impossible.
One day, I when my life fell apart, I found something my mother taught me. Perseverance. She taught me every cloud has a silver lining. And every day is a new beginning.
In the midst of chaos and the dark night of soul; in the eye of the storm, there is the peace of God. When everything falls apart and I am left grasping at reality - it is in those weak moments I feel the Grace of God.
When the foundation crumbles - stand strong. In the midst of it all listen to God. "My Grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness..." 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Only the Grace of God is strong in our weakest moments.

This is an appropriate day for a new beginning. Today I remember my mother and the sacrifices she made so that I can have a better life today.

She was five years old during World War II and she would occasionally tell the horrific stories from that time in her life. Pets had to be slaughtered to feed the families. Food was difficult for my grandparents to find for their three little ones. In the streets there was talk of canabalism. Crime was huge and no one ever felt safe.

My mother talked about the smell of burning flesh every day. Our family was wealthy until this war. The Nazis ordered our family to vacate their land and beautiful houses. In an hour they were put on trains and shipped away.

After my mother told us a story about the war; she simply would say, "This is why I came to Canada." She was embarrassed about the effects the war had on the world. As a child in school, I was harrassed for being of German heritage.

When I was a small girl, my mother made all of us kids go to a church. Because we lived in government housing she knew we need God in our lives. At four I sang in front of the church, and felt the urge to do more for God.

Then, a few years later, she enrolled me in the Private Christian School. With the help of our Adventist church I was able to further connect with God. My mother made unbelievable sacrifices for me. She did things I never truly understood until I became a mother.

Today when I make sacrifices for my son, when I'm exhausted and I just don't see the point of it all anymore.... I remember my mother and how she dearly wanted for me to have a better life than the one she had, starting with WWII.
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