First of all, I love my family. I am very fortunate to have such a large family that loves one another as they do.
Second, we do not have plans to move to Holland. Just happy little thoughts and dreams of doing so.
My personal experience in Holland left me with a feeling that I belong there. It has been six months since we were there, although we were there so briefly, I still have that same feeling. If we had the chance and courage to emigrate there, I believe we would go. It would be very hard to leave my family here - but at the same time, how often do I see my family in the states? I do not know but one or two in passing of my family in *Iowa and...*Michigan is it? It is even rare to see my "more immediate extended family" (who live in Washington state along with me) more than once or twice a year. I do see my brothers and their families more often than anyone - maybe once a month or sometimes more. My parents are now in Alaska so I see them very rarely, too. I realize that families grow up and out and as they get larger we have to focus energies on more specific targets and people, but I wish we all had enough time (and money these days) for all the extended family gatherings. I would love to meet all my family in middle-America, wherever they are... though I don't know if they feel the same way. There's only one way to find out - to be that one weird, distant relative who asks!
"What is the purpose of this post," you say?
Well, I came across a story at Radio Netherlands Worldwide in This Week in the Netherlands (by Davion Ford) of Caroline Pelders who, after living in Canada for thirty years, is emigrating back to the Netherlands with her husband and youngest daughter. She says "I've never had the feeling that I really belonged here. [...] I could try waiting for another 30 years, but then I would have been here 60 years. But if I still felt the same way, it would really have been a waste of my time" (taken from subtitles on video clip). It's interesting to know that the Netherlands has a similar "pull" for others as the one I feel (even though I have never lived there). Watch the video clip here:
The video clip also talks about Learning Dutch, Prescription Pot, and Spotting Child Abuse.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment