The year 2021 was shorter than the last years. There was manipulated something – we are quite sure! Finally, nevertheless, just still summer was, and there could not be now already again December. Certainly, every second day was simply left out to reach the end of the year faster … So who turned the clock here?
At least that’s how it feels to us. The weeks and months have virtually run by, and we are asking ourselves why. While the first half of the year was still characterized by the daily routines in pandemic mode (remote work, remote learning, occasional excursions, etc.), which had become a habit in the meantime, the picture changed with the start of the new school year in August and the associated decision in favor of in-person learning. And that decision had a substantial impact on all of us. Whereas previously, the three of us had been at home studying and working Monday through Friday or Saturday, our teenager was now back to a regular daily routine surrounded by students and teachers (including free time). This was quite an adjustment when the familiar background noise of Zoom meetings and occasional dance practice was suddenly no longer there. Instead, the offspring had to catch the bus early in the morning (no more sleeping until 5 minutes before school started and then spending the whole day in sleep clothes). Our initial concerns that this would lead to dramas of unbelievable proportions were quickly swept aside by Celina’s unexpectedly high level of commitment. Real school life was what she so desperately needed. And the same was now back! There were school events like Homecoming or the Peprallys (which are motto-related school events before essential games of the high school sports teams to “fire up” the students), numerous performances, and of course, the classes themselves. And in 2022, it’s definitely not getting any less….
In mid-December, we had to buy a calendar for the coming year because, at that time, we already had a lot of appointments lined up and lost track of everything. The new year will be exciting and eventful for us, but especially for our little daughter. There are the dance competitions in Bastrop (in February) and Lubbock (in March), for which additional training sessions on Thursday and Saturday have been arranged every week since January. There will be an Academy for Global Studies trip to New Mexico and an Eastern European tour in July. Over Easter, she’s headed to New Orleans with her photographer. And we certainly want to experience one or two other things as well. So it remains exciting, and that’s good…
Now at the end of the year, we are happy about our first guest from Germany. Grandma Bine spends the Christmas days and the turn of the year here with us. The joy of reunion after more than two years at the airport in Houston was accordingly emotional (Austin is currently not flown again directly from Germany). Finally, we could show someone our new home in person, which is just something different than telling or writing about it. And pictures can only reflect life here to a limited extent.
What we wish for you and us!
May the pandemic and the associated differences in opinion between people end! What we had to hear experience partly from Germany was frightening and, in some places, inconceivable for us. Of course, these are also numerous subjective experiences, but a pretty realistic picture emerges if you add to them the various media reports.
We wish all of you good health and the strength to approach people with different opinions with respect and to extend a hand of reconciliation. Having a different view is not a crime (as it is too often suggested) but an enrichment that makes discussions possible in the first place! If everyone had the same opinion, what would there be to discuss?
And we would like to see a more respectful approach to the individual decisions of each person. That is what freedom is all about. There is no shame in respecting something! Respecting something doesn’t mean you have to have the same opinion. It becomes problematic when you don’t appreciate something because of another view! And one has seen this for quite some time, both in the political and the social area. All too often, things or people are rejected simply on principle because they have an alternative attitude to specific points. And thus, compromises acceptable to all become almost impossible. The “red line” that is now being drawn everywhere and the notorious blanket classification of different opinions into political directions unrelated to each other is very sad and disturbing. For us, it was always essential to have our own opinion and be allowed to represent it. Conversely, this also means that we tolerate other views. This is how we raised our daughter, and we are proud of it!
We hope that things will continue to be great for us here and that we can gather many new and beautiful experiences. There is still so much to discover, and we are excited about everything.
We wish everyone a healthy, prosperous, and above all, happy year 2022!
Your Family Kuehne