Friends

Friendship is a universal concept, but I have learned that the nuances are not the same everywhere. Whereas in the States the difference between a friend and an acquaintance is not necessarily how well you know the person, but how well you like them, in Germany the term "friend" is reserved for those who are truly close to you, and everybody else is an "acquaintance" with no negative connotation whatsoever.

I am blessed with many friends, both the German and American kind. Today a friend dropped by unexpectedly just to chat and see how I was doing. She brought her four-month-old grandson with her and we sat outside in the mid-day warmth as the child slept in his carriage. We sipped tea and touched on a dozen different subjects -- before we knew it more than an hour had slipped by and it was time for her to go and me to start cooking. As she left, we agreed that this was nice and we should do it again.

This may not seem unusual to Americans, but for Germans to drop by without advance warning is atypical, so I was touched that Rosie decided to stop by our house while out with her grandson. German friends mean it when they say they are there for you, and I feel lucky to know so many caring people in my hometown (and Selzen!) that I can call on when I need help, be it to accompany me to a doctor's appointment or go shopping for plants.

And I have found that distance is not necessarily a factor in the intensity of a friendship. I have friends that are very dear to me, not only in far away German cities like Berlin, but also in the US, Ireland and China. I count my sisters and sister-in-law in this group, except for the one sister-in-law who lives in the same town as me, and has been one of my closest friends since before I married her brother.

Enough for today. Thanks so much for coming by Rosie; I really enjoyed your visit!