Dear Barry,
Sorry I have written in a while. Teddie decided to make his debut a few weeks early. It's amazing how quickly time really does fly when you don't sleep. I'd love for you to explain that phenomena to me where I am awake more hours each day and yet it seems like each day goes by quicker than the one before. I also can't wait for everyone to meet him. He definitely is his own character.
As you know, I'm trying my hardest to learn German but it's not going too well. The moment I open my mouth, every native German knows I'm American and responds to me in English. Or, on the rare occasion someone does respond in German, it is way top rapid for me to understand. Although I can now read most newspaper headlines and understand when toddlers speak to me. Mostly. And still I trudge along.
Anyway, I came across the word for moment in German. Haha, yes I know that it can be translated as moment, but the alternate translation is augenblick which literally means "eyes' glimpse" which I think is a more perfect translation of the word.
I also get hung up on these aphorisms that life seems to throw at us everyone once in a while. It's like I am aware that I need to embrace every glimpse and moment and yet the very thought of trying to slow down time only makes it speed up.
All I know is, despite all the bad things that has happened in 2020( and you, my friend, know this far too well), I cannot throw out the baby with the bath water. Or, in this instance, the baby with the foul year of all of our discontents.
I may never be able to fluently speak another language but I will damn well make it abundantly clear to my loved ones that I love them and that's really all that matters.
I hope you are doing well and I miss you terribly.
Until next time,
Danny
PS. Here are some photos of your nephew Teddie