Hamburg is now entering autumn. In the early morning, it is quite chilly when stepping outside. Yet, the members of the Integral Tai Chi group diligently come to class every Sunday.
In Germany, Sunday is a day when citizens can truly relax. All shopping centers and stores are closed, only restaurants and eateries open on Sundays.
Today, one of the members invited us to his house, and he asked us to help tidy the garden because autumn has arrived, and he is preparing to return to Vietnam for a few months to escape the winter.
He has a small house with a garden in front, not very large, but he has utilized all the space to grow various plants. He has winter melons, gourds, and cucumbers climbing on trellises, while underneath he grows fish mint, perilla, chili peppers, and various herbs, along with some medicinal plants.
Occasionally, he harvests and brings some to class for the group. Today, the whole group is visiting his house. Among us is a lovely younger sister who volunteered to cook vegetarian noodles and make fried dough sticks to treat everyone.
After finishing our practice and meditation, we went to the member's house. We were surprised to see how well-cared-for and clean his garden was. He told us to feel free to pick any vegetables or fruits we wanted, as he grew them just for fun and couldn’t eat them all by himself. So, we all divided up and went to harvest, and then we sat down together.
His daughter shared, “Having you here makes Dad very happy.” He replied, “My wife has been gone for several years now. Even though I live right next to my daughter and am well taken care of, the children can’t always spend enough time with their parents; they have their own jobs, especially living abroad. Our neighbors are mostly German. The cultural differences and language barrier are significant obstacles for older Vietnamese to integrate with the community.”
We sat together in a circle. Although it was chilly today, the hot pot of vegetarian noodles and the warm affection from everyone made us all feel warm inside. As we left, each of us took home a bag of fresh vegetables and fruits.
We thank our teacher for imparting the Càn Khôn Thập Linh (integral Tai Chi) teachings to us, which has given us the opportunity to connect and share with members of the community, promoting health and peace of mind.
Thank you all for a truly beautiful day.
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