Comings and Goings

I've spent this afternoon helping my friend Sabine clean her apartment as she is moving back to her home town 7 hours drive away. I came home feeling very sad and teary. She has been the most wonderful friend to me and I am going to miss her very, very much.

I can remember someone saying to me before we came to Germany that many people would come and go in my life and that is the nature of our work. This is so true and I find it very difficult to cope with. People are so very special to me and I can get attached easily and quickly.

First there was beautiful Sue who was in Basel from New Zealand with her husband supposedly for 6 months and ended up staying around 10 months (or thereabouts). We talked to easily together, had coffee's together, visited in each others homes, walked together. All special things.

Sue introduced me to the lovely Tara who is South African married to a New Zealander. They were in Basel for a couple of months and stayed 7 months!! We would meet in Basel for coffee and have a good natter together. Tara has a delightful 3.5 month old daughter Cassie. I try to keep in email contact with Sue and Tara.

Then of course Wirt and Linda, our darling friends who we got to know almost as soon as we arrived here have now retired home to Texas and we absolutely miss them so much. No one will ever replace them, but we look for people we can share openly with about what is on our hearts and sometimes the challenges we face.