The Move to Germany (2)
My Journey as a short-lived Nana
When we returned from our Christmas celebration, I spent a lot of time in prayer as what I suspected for a long time was confirmed—my daughter was suffering with postnatal depression. It was soon after Elizabeth’s birth that I started noticing small things in her behavior.
The middle of January they went to visit family in South Africa and Namibia. Before they left, I had spoken with her and prayed with her. I gave her tools to help her get better and checked in with her every two days to hear how she was doing. They returned a few days after Elizabeth’s first birthday. My daughter would start working in April and Elizabeth would go to Kindergarten. A few days after returning my daughter messaged me to say they are considering moving back to South Africa as financially they would not make it in the United Kingdom.
This message disturbed me and decided not to respond at first as I needed to process the news and talk to God first. After work I went for a walk in the park and prayed about the matter. It was only later the evening that I could respond to the matter with objectivity. I pointed out the pros and cons of moving to South Africa and I proposed them to consider moving to Germany instead—pointing also the pros and cons.
Two days later, she messaged to say they decided to relocate to Germany. A few days earlier I had just booked my ticket to visit them for the Easter holidays. Everything then happened quickly. I helped them pack up during my visit. She was also doing better. Her husband had to go back to South Africa for work and to apply for a visa for Germany. My daughter and Elizabeth arrived in Germany on the 11 of May 2019. The two of them stayed with us until they could find a place of their own.
I started writing a book for young adults in January which I wanted to use as material for my missions trip to Ghana and Malawi later in the year. When they decided to move here, I stopped writing and packed my stuff away. I did not work on any of my projects—no blogging, etc. I was fine with the decision as I knew my family needed me for this season. I traveled to Ghana in the beginning of June and presented a workshop on “Who am I” and cancelled the Malawian trip in August.
What a wonderful, joyous time it was to have them living with us. Seeing that beautiful smiling face early in the morning before going to work and coming back home in the afternoon. The sunny days in the park where she would splash and play in the mud puddles. Chasing her down the passage, unpacking the kitchen cupboard and decorating the floor with bowls and dishes. My husband could not wait to get home at night to still catch her awake and kiss her good night.
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