Sunday, February 20, 2011

Visions of Mother-tongue

It's been a big week. Not only did we see snow AND a possible melodic recognition, but Kaya spoke MORE German with me yesterday than I've heard her speak in a LONG time. And this is AFTER she'd spent 2 days and 2 nights at her English-speaking grandparents'!!

There's hope.
Yes!

Thanks be to the light and love of language!

Last night, during our nightly rocking ritual, Kaya and I were giggling harder and longer than we've ever giggled before. I was ecstatic to hear her speaking so much German, and it created in me such an elation that nothing else mattered. I was there, I was present, the giggles were feeding my soul. I thought, for a brief moment, about how nice it might be to write down some of the things that she was saying, to clearly illustrate the change. But I stayed in that thought long enough only to remind me to write. No sooner was I back with her smiles, with our game of Schnulli-spitting and nose-bopping. And back to this vision, that I used to have months ago, where Kaya and I are connecting, we are talking at length and laughing like loons, in her mother-tongue.

Moments like this remind me, like with all the challenging things in life, that the apparent sacrifice is well worth it, and that it's simply a matter of patience and possibility to stay on the path to the next milepost...

2 comments:

  1. Tamara

    Thank you so much for your inspiring comments and kind words on my blog. I am touched that you feel a connection and happy that we stand to build a great mutual support system! I am currently trying to catch up on your blog from the very beginning and read it at every spare moment - lucky that technology now allows us to get online on our cells - so convenient!

    I truly feel that I am walking in your footsteps. I feel safer there than I have for a good while!

    You mentioned wanting to see some pics of Poppette and I. For the moment I plan to keep my blog anonymous in the hope that I will use it to its full potential in terms of it being a cathartic bolt hole. Do you have an email address I can send a personal pic to? If so, email me at non.native.adventure@gmail.com

    Looking forward to many more great chats.

    Bonne Maman

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  2. BTW you asked whether I knew of any other non-native blogs to add to your new blog list. The first blog I ever came accross when I started to research non-native bilingualism was 'Papa et Piaf' - great blog and 'Papa' is a great guy with a lot of insight. He hasn't updated for a while but did mention to me the other day that he is hoping to do so soon.

    'Speaking to my daughter in spanish' is also another good one - although this hasnt been updated for about a year.

    Links to both are on my home page

    :-)

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I LOVE reading your comments, they make such a difference! Thanks for sharing!