When Nana was just 10 years old, she got to live in Germany for 3 years! This was one of the most enjoyable times for everyone. Uncle Mike was born just one month after they arrived there. Grandpa had a top secret job that he couldn't talk much about because he was a little bit like a spy for the government, checking out what other countries were doing with their space programs. He was very busy, and received a promotion. Grandma said in one of her letters that maybe he should have stuck with being a regular "Indian" and let someone else be the "Chief"--meaning that he was super busy because he was in charge of so many people. However, he had chosen this assignment over another one in which he might have been made General but wouldn't have seen his family much. Grandpa and Grandma always chose to spend as much time with their family as they possibly could. They loved to go on vacations together, and one of the first things they did when they got settled was to sit down and plan 3 years of vacations together all over Europe and the Holy Land (Israel) so they could see it all while they were so close. And they really did it! Their children got a real education as they traveled all over and saw many different ways of living and many different countries. Would you be nervous traveling around in countries where you didn't speak the language? Grandma was very brave and didn't seem to be worried about that at all.
The kids loved living in Germany. They had a neat house with a spiral staircase going up the middle of it, and it had about 4 or 5 stories! There was a wonderful garden out back of one of their houses with a cherry tree, and there were lots of woods and fun places to explore. They got to bike down to buy bread and candy from nearby stores and Nana even got to ride the bus by herself to her piano lessons! Grandma kept the kids busy with chores and practicing, and she taught them how to sew and crochet and knit as well. She took them to many cultural events, and she and Grandpa taught them all how to ski. Once the president of the United States, President Kennedy, came to Germany. Grandma took all the kids down to see him but there was such a huge crowd they couldn't get a look. Adults were on top of other adults' shoulders!
Do you ever try to get out of doing your chores? Well, one day when Uncle Bob was supposed to be doing the dishes, he snuck out and went to play in the woods instead. While out there, he fell and hurt himself. Grandma doctored him up and then gently reminded him that if he were doing what he was supposed to, he wouldn't have gotten hurt. She then encouraged him to finish doing the dishes. Grandma helped the kids learn that a job worth doing is worth doing well, and you should be diligent in the things you are asked/supposed to do.
To Discuss:
When Grandpa and Grandma knew they were going to Europe, they took that opportunity to plan many trips and experience as much of the world as they could. Why is it important to look for opportunities to learn and grow from the world around us? How would their experience have been different if they just stayed in their town in Germany for three years and didn't explore elsewhere?
Grandma and Grandpa taught their kids to work hard and develop skills in life. Why is this important to do?
