Last week marked 70 years since my Oma immigrated to America from Holland. My Oma loves a celebration, so we figured that this event was a perfect occasion to get the family together for some fun. After a day of playing, and dinner, and showers and pjs for all of the cousins, we gathered around to hear Oma tell the story of how and why she decided to come to America.
It really is fascinating to hear history come to life through her words and memories. She talked about the war and the devastation of her country. She talked about how through years of being hungry they heard stories about the opportunities for work, and food, and stability in America. And then she told the story of actually making the 8 day trip by boat to the United States. When she explained what it was like to see the Statue of Liberty after 8 days at sea, she started to cry.
She has no regrets about leaving her home and family for a new life in America. She considered herself lucky that she was able to find a sponsor that allowed her to immigrate to our country and she hasn't looked back since. I am in awe of her bravery.
A few weeks ago, after family dinner, she told me stories about the very first home she lived in with my Opa in Long Beach. I asked her if she still remembered the address and of course, no surprise to me, she rattled it right off. I quickly grabbed my laptop and searched for the address on google maps. Oma was blown away that you could so easily see the little spot that they once called home. We looked up the address of the home where she brought her babies home to, too. It was so sweet to see how excited she was to have access to the places she has so many memories of.
I am so thankful for my Oma. There are just no words to describe how much she means to our family. Love you, Oma!
