As a young girl, she had ventured out into life shortly after the war at the age of 17. She had found a job in post-war Germany, far away from her home village. She was rarely able to travel home, as the journey took up more than half of her monthly earnings. Then an opportunity arose to find a job closer to home. So she moved to a small town, where she got married and raised her children. She had now lived there for 70 years. To mark this hidden jubilee, I had given her 70 chocolates in a bowl of flowers. Every evening, she ate one of these chocolates with gratitude. I got the flower bowl back. It is now back on a shelf in my cellar. Every time I see it, I feel this deep connection and gratitude.
