Growing up, I frequently would hear the phrase “oh they’re on the phone with Germany” — they being either my mom, dad or grandparents. I knew that I wasn’t to interrupt the conversation because time, in this situation, quite literally was money. I’m proud to say that my Oma and Opa (grandparents) came to the United States of America from Germany in 1958, only planning to stay for a few years. Long story short, they are still here, and I couldn’t be more proud of my family’s heritage. One of the most unique parts of my family is that the majority of my extended family still lives in Germany, and I’ve grown up to know them.

My parents have always held family to the highest importance, regardless of whether someone is my grandparent or my fifth cousin. That being said, I never really realized how important my extended family was until this summer, when I visited Germany for the fourth time in my life. The first time, I was only 7 months old, and therefore don’t remember anything. The other times I traveled there I was 6, 12, and 19 years old—and I’m pretty sure I remember every detail from each trip. Some of my fondest memories of my childhood time spent in Germany are from the late nights when I couldn’t sleep because of jet lag, and my great aunt Thilde would stay up all night with me, learning to pronounce English words. Although I’ve never spoken fluent German, I’ve learned enough to get by and hold conversations with my family. One might think that the language barrier could be an emotional barrier too, but I’ve found it to be the exact opposite. Working hard to communicate has brought me closer to my family, rather than drawn us apart.

Now, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit my family several times, an opportunity which not everyone in this world has. While the first three trips I took there were for a month or more at a time, the trip I took this summer was only three short days. I was elated to see my family as I hadn’t seen them in seven years. When I got there, though, things seemed to have changed. Some family members had passed in recent years and the vibe was a little different. I was old enough to be a part of conversations now and I was hit in the face with reality: my family is really starting to get old. When I was younger, I took my time with my family in Germany for granted. I loved being with them, sharing meals together and going on adventures in the country, but I never took in to account the fact that I wasn’t going to be around them for several years at a time. Sadly, in some cases, I didn’t know that the time I spent with certain people would be the last.

This isn’t an article for you to pity the fact that I don’t see my family all that often. My point here is that I am so proud to be connected to them. I never even realized how much family I had until one night at my great uncle’s house, there were about 25 people in the room, all of whom were related to me in some way. I fear that as I grow older and begin to have a family of my own, I might lose some of my connections with my family and my heritage. Because my dad is a first generation, our German culture has always been a huge part of our family—whether it's little phrases we say on a daily basis or big holiday traditions. Thankfully, social media has become a way to be connected with my younger family members over in Europe. Sure, they might be my fourth and fifth cousins, but it doesn’t matter to me. Communication is essential, appreciation is indispensable and most importantly: family is family.

Zu meiner Familie in Deutschland. Ich liebe Euch alle. Ich bedanke mich für alles was Sie getan haben und gegeben haben. Es ist meine hoffnung dass Wir uns bald wiedersehen werden! Ich wunsche Euch alles gute. Diene, Gabriella