Then They Came for Me

Today I went to the German labor camp Sachsenhausen, less than an hour outside of Berlin.  Many times moved, at times disgusted, always sad, there were a couple of things today that struck a nerve.

Before entering the gates, our guide talked about the liberation, when the Red Army rolled in.  Countries hurried to come collect their countrymen; sending buses and trains to bring their people home.  After all, this camp was full of everyone from Norwegians, to French resistance fighters, to Dutch POWs.  Probably the biggest population at the time were Soviet prisoners of war.  Stalin didn't rush to get his men; he considered them cowardly allowing themselves to be taken prisoner instead of dying bravely for the cause.  Does that remind of you of anyone?  Trump has said almost the same thing about John McCain, who was captured during the Vietnam war and held prisoner.

When we reached the "special prisoners" prison, we learned that some famous men had been housed there, including Georg Elser, the man who tried in vain to assassinate Hitler with a bomb.  People leave gifts and flowers in the outline of his barack to this day.  Another famous prisoner there is someone you've probably never heard of, but is remembered for something he once said.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemoller was a prominent Protestant pastor who was jailed the last 7 years of WWII because he spoke out against Hitler and the Nazi rule.  Again, his saying reminded me of the dangerous situation in our country today, where some people are okay with what Donald Trump says because they're not Mexican, Muslim, or a woman.  He's not targeting them.  Yet.

 

Things My Mother Taught Me (Or I Wish She Did)

1. A little cream cheese makes mashed potatoes creamy and even more delicious


2. If your sunny side up eggs are burning around the edges but slimy around the yolk, add a few drops of water to the pan and stick a cover on it to steam.


3. There's an easier way to put on a duvet cover.


4. The best scrambled eggs don't start in a hot fry pan.  Start in a cold sauce pan with a good dash of pepper.  Put on medium heat whisking constantly until the curds start to form.  Take it off the heat for a few seconds, still stirring.  Put it back on the heat, take it off, and repeat until you start to hear a sizzle.  Immediately remove from heat, add salt and crumbled goat cheese (optional).  Garnish with fresh chives.  The sizzle part is important; eggs continue to cook after they're removed from the heat, and overcooked eggs are awful.  I give Gordon Ramsay credit for this one!


5. Unless you have very thin fine hair, there is no reason to wash your hair every day.  It strips the natural oil from your scalp.  My hair always looks better the day after I washed it.  I aim for twice a week max unless I'm desperate to wash the campfire smoke out of my hair.


6. Stay interested in everything!  When I see people my age that refuse to text, Facebook, or do anything remotely technology related, they appear old before their time.


7. You're never too old to learn something new.  I recently taught myself to sew, and have completed a quilted table runner and a baby quilt.


8. Try it even if you think you don't like it.  Tastes change.  What you hated as a child/teenager/20 year old might be your favorite now.  I thought I hated blue cheese as a kid (never actually tried it; the thought of moldy cheese was just too much).  As a 50 something, I was served a salad in a dark room and exclaimed with delight to my neighbor, "what is this?"  You guessed it - blue cheese dressing.


9. Instead of wasting time whining about something being broken, learn to fix it yourself.  YouTube is great for quick fixes for everything from a broken coffee machine to rusty door hinges.  I get tired of being on hold for help with computer issues, so I've gotten pretty good at troubleshooting myself.


10. The past isn't real, and neither is the future.  So live in the present moment, be grateful for what you have, and love without expectations.

Gratitude Isn't Always Easy

I'm big on gratitude; I think that taking a little time every day or several times a day to be thankful does a lot of things, including relaxing your body, making you more present, and keeping you in a more positive state of mind.

Some days it's hard to feel grateful; yesterday was one of those days.  Delilah, my one year old cat, had to be put to sleep.  Her kidneys failed her, and although we spent a week on intensive treatment, we couldn't help her.

Delilah spent almost a year at the animal shelter in a cage, let out only once a day for a few minutes.  I had adopted her sister Maggie, and her other siblings had been adopted many months before.  When I volunteered there and let her out, she would cling to me with all her might and rub her face frantically on my cheek.  I coined the term "aggressively affectionate" for her, since I'd walk out with marks on my shoulders from her claws digging in to me.  But I couldn't adopt her because I had a terminally ill kitten (Meep) at home.

When Meep died in March, I brought Delilah home.  She fit right in with the rest of the kittens, and after a couple of weeks didn't cling to desperately to me.  Last week her health declined rapidly, and after 2 days hospitalized, a week of me giving her subcutaneous fluids and meds, and praying, she didn't get any better, but instead got worse.  So I had to make the decision to end her suffering.

I had also injured my back Saturday, so I was in physical pain as well as emotional pain.  So I had to think hard about what to grateful for.  Saturday I received a card at the shelter that had sat on someone's desk since March.  A lady in Minneapolis had read this blog about Meep's death and wanted to express her sadness.  I was grateful.  Last week a friend in Minneapolis read my frantic Facebook posts about Delilah and sent me a check for $100 (which will be donated to The Marshmallow Foundation.  Their antique washing machine has finally quit working, and there's a used washing machine on Craigslist that we're trying to buy, for, you guessed it - $100.

Maggie, Leo, and Fancy are all healthy and happy.  I am grateful.  And I am grateful for Delilah, who taught me that loves sometimes means saying goodbye.