Sinterklaas

A couple weekends ago I rented a houseboat in Amsterdam, right along the Amstel, with some friends (Friends,Kinderdijk). I not only wanted to get away for the weekend, spend some time with friends, but I also wanted to see St. Nicholas arrive in Amsterdam! What I didn’t know is that he would arrive, by steamboat, on the Amstel, sailing right past our boat.  People, I almost keeled over with excitement! This was beyond all expectations, beyond all dreams, it was being a kid again.

That Sunday morning, two days after the tragedy in Paris, the entire city vibrated with life and happiness.  Kids, parents, grandparents, entire families came out to see “Sint” arrive. We’d spent most of Saturday on the boat, playing games, following the news, on the phone with loved ones.  All of us had friends or family in Paris, and it took most of that day to ensure they were all alive and well.  All of us are overseas as part of the military, whether as a dependent or an active service member.  The day after Paris also required check-ins, and following new protocols.  The initial response is scary, confusing, overwhelming and frightening. I may be Dutch, but I was still a foreign country, many miles from my family.

We canceled planned visits to the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank Huis and the Heineken Experience, instead choosing to remain on board, or walking the less explored, less populated areas of Amsterdam.  It was actually a beautiful, relaxing day to just be and decompress from the intensity of the night before. We stayed up well into the wee hours of the morning, talking, laughing, sometimes serious, sometimes completely not.  I finally fell asleep around 4 am.

By 10 am the city was not just awake, but wide awake!  I could feel the vibration of the crowd, the humming of the music, the joy and celebration that Sinterklaas was soon to arrive!  It was exactly what I needed. It was exactly what Amsterdam needed.  Paris was scary.  The world is scary. That does not, that cannot, stop us from living our life to the fullest. Thank God for tradition, celebration, SINTERKLAAS!