Glimmers of light

Here in our Munich neighborhood, I frequently have moments when little sparks of light make daily life shine.

At the bus stop yesterday a woman began speaking to me, and she told me she was “making stars.” We started chatting, and I learned that seven children from two Albanian families in the area come to her home two days a week. They do their homework together, weave baskets, or make cookies shaped like stars. A few years ago the parents of the families had contacted this woman and asked if she could help their children because they did not speak German. She was seriously ill and had had to give up her job. I was moved to learn that, rather than moaning about her sickness, she had offered her time to these children in need.

Our neighbor Ali is originally from Turkiye. His wife is from Turkmenistan, and she has become a true friend. Ali is often a source of wonder for me. When he arrives at the trash bin with his own bag he always cleans up everything others have carelessly thrown on the ground: tissues, paper wrappers, all sorts of things. One day I told him how much I admired him, and he answered me, “I want to be an example to my children so they will see the importance of caring for the environment and keeping it clean.” A few weeks ago, I was surprised to find a bucket of white paint in the stairwell of our building: Ali had bought the paint with his own money, and one day when he wasn’t working he repainted the dirty walls in our hallway. The next day I saw L.Sr. Monika-Barbara washing the tiles along the entrance walls, and the water was completely black. Deep cleaning is rare. And that’s not all! Just a few days later some young people, sent by our rental organization, came to paint the walls in the basement, which were extremely dirty. Ali had begun the job and thus launched a whole movement behind him. Thank you Ali!

In the retirement home where I work, I’ve had the good fortune of meeting young people from different backgrounds: they come to fulfill a requirement for some social service mission or some type of training.

A young Ethiopian man told me how he had fled by boat and journeyed for months to reach here. Now he speaks German perfectly and is preparing to take his final exam in nursing.

He was replaced by Muhammad from Somalia. Muhammad had left his family and set off alone at 17 to seek a better future in Europe. From the start I’d noticed how he really wanted to do the work, and I’d told him I wanted to support him. So, we found time to get together regularly to answer the test questions he received as he prepared to take the exam for nursing assistant. I also tried to help him get to know the residents here who have communication difficulties, and whose personal histories I’ve become more familiar with. It’s very helpful if one is knowledgeable on a subject which has touched some aspect of their lives. I was happy to see the easy rapport Muhammad had with the elderly women. A relationship of trust was built up among us. The best present he gave me was passing his nursing practice exam, “with honors” on top of it.

Sometimes I even have an opportunity to speak French. Fatima is from Morocco. Her brothers and sisters are scattered across several European countries, and only her parents are still in their home country. During her first weeks in the retirement home everything was new for her. She was the only Muslim woman wearing a veil even at work. She confided to me that she had shed a few tears when she said good-bye to two residents who had passed away, and she felt relieved when I told her I’d cried too. It’s part of the journey with the residents—we get to know each other, we become close, even very close, in the course of our daily care routines, and then comes the moment of separation. We grow together like a family.

I retired in January, but that doesn’t stop me from discovering the sparks of light that continue to shine around me. And I wish it would be granted to all of us to perceive them in our lives, and to transmit the Good News of tender love to those around us.

By the merciful love of God the dawning light from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace. Lk 1:78-79

L.Sr. Elizabeth-Franca