We have some very dear friends in Germany and we've spent
quite a bit of time with them here in San Diego and in Europe. I followed the
children to school . . . I couldn't help myself. Once a teacher, always a
teacher! I walked with the girls to the bus stop, rode the bus to school and sat
in on their classes on two separate days, jumped rope to American jingles and
completed the same assignments they were given (or tried to). Even though I
could only understand some of the language, I came to the realization that no
matter where we are, children are children, delightfully so! Since then we've
been back several times and I've been invited to teach in their English classes
and design some materials for their program. Such fun! Thought I'd share this
poem that I wrote after visiting the classrooms in 2004. While spending a week
in Tuscany and another on the Danish coastline, I taught the girls American jump
rope jingles. I was surprised to find later that they had shared them with their
German school chums. I was talked into going outside for recess and being one of
the rope turners!
Children Are Children
Children are children wherever you go.
They act the
same from head to toe!
The boisterous
boys with skinned-up knees,
Who love to
laugh, to tickle and tease;
They twirl their
fingers in their hair
And weave their
daydreams in the air.
They play a game
of tag and chase,
Or have a rowdy
running race.
The patched-up
jeans and baseball caps
Belong to boys
and chummy chaps!
The giggly girls
with bows in their hair,
Who skip and
jump from here to there;
Dainty dresses
and frilly frocks,
Shiny shoes and slippery socks;
Barrettes and
braids and freckled faces,
The missing
teeth with smiley spaces;
Bracelets,
braces, shiny glasses . . .
We love them
all, the girls and lasses!
Children are
children wherever you go.
They act the
same from head to toe!
(Written
For Frau von
Heyden and Frau Domnick)
Tuttendorf, Germany
April 21,
2004
