To Prevail

A lion's work hours are only when he's hungry; once he's satisfied, the predator and prey live peacefully together.

~ Chuck Jones

Contentment

Contentment

Fluffy white pillows on a soft feather bed;
Warm smell of cookies that fill up your head;
Hours on the playground building men made of snow;
A crackling fire and a room all aglow…

I long for the days of simple contentment with
You by my side,
Laughing and loving and knowing that
Life will provide.

Starry dark nights where your breath is like steam;
A sweet fruity dish all covered in cream;
Beautiful flowers that burst into bloom;
With scents that surround and fill up the room...

Late Sunday mornings where we sleep until noon;
Doing a crossword while humming a tune;
The purr of a kitten as you stroke its soft fur;
Not caring diddly about what may occur…

I live for the days of simple contentment with
You by my side,
Laughing and loving and knowing that
Life will provide.

Dipping a berry in hot chocolate sauce;
Bright colored paintings in pastels and high gloss;
A hummingbird dances in flashes of blue;
The morning time dew that rises for you…

I’m glad of these days of simple contentment with
You by my side,
Laughing and loving and knowing that
Life will provide.

Copyright © 2010 Larry Coffey

Where I Come From

[caption id="attachment_947" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Aerial View of Kaiserslautern, Germany (My Hometown)"][/caption]

So far, I have lived in three different countries throughout my life. But I always know where I come from and what my roots are. That I will never forget.

That’s why it is so hard to deal with the following fact:

As some of you might know, I am trying to get my Canadian Citizenship. I already got the material I need to study to successfully pass. Canada accepts dual-citizenship. Awesome! But not so fast…

Last week I found out that Germany has changed their laws on dual-citizenship. It is no longer accepted. if you do not live within the EU or Switzerland. Say what? Who comes up with these laws?

And this is what gets me: why do they make you lose your citizenship of the country you were born and raised in? The country you identify yourself with…forever.

This was also the reason why I never got my American Citizenship as the US do not accept dual-citizenship. A decision I regret so deeply…still.

So after moving from the US to Canada I had to surrender my Green Card. Now I have nothing to show for of the 12 years I lived there. Some people might not understand, but I have a tough time with it. Of course there are many other factors, but I do not want to get into those in this post.

Now I have to separately apply for an exception with the German Consulate, proofing that I still have valid ties to Germany.  Pay a ton of money. And play the nerve-racking waiting game whether or not I am ‘allowed’ to stay a German citizen.

I have two advantages going for me: My whole family still lives there and I work for a German company with its headquarters being in Germany.

It’s time to play the game!

One thing I have promised myself: I might never ever move back to Germany in this life, but I will never ever give up my German citizenship. Period.

Keep your fingers crossed that this all will work out as I do not want to miss that chance again to apply for citizenship in the country I live in and I’m planning on staying and settling down.