Winegar-Walk With Wisdom

Friday, May 5, 2017

Albanian Memorial Day!

We started our day out with Perparim by going to the memorial for soldiers who were killed in the Wars. Some for freedom and some for communism . A little confusing. There I met with the older men and Nene's who all wanted to tell this American lady about their lives. Wow! did I get an earful. Two ladies told us how their dad went off to war just up over the hills from Pogradec as the Italians were coming through. They were just 3 and 5 with another older sister to watch over them. Their father, 27 years old leaving these three girls and their mother. He never came back but later they were able to bring his body off the mountain. We were having this discussion over his grave. Their Mother never remarried at a very young age with three girls. Their lives were bitterly difficult with little food and little help. They wanted to personally thank Lorin and I for bringing our American troops to end the war. Of course, we had absolutely nothing to do with any decisions concerning the WWII or any other since then but I hugged them until they felt validated and then hugged them again. Wars here are REAL because the people still remember them vividly and paid a huge price for them. Perparim took us around to everyone as we "The Americans" in the village could shake their hands and love them and tell them that we love their country and we are so sad that they have experienced such heart ache. We told them how much we love living in Pogradec and how beautiful it is. We hope they NEVER have War again...

Later that day we met with the rest of the branch for a picnic. Very nice --We sat in a cow pasture, Lorin stepped in all the poo but the rest of us enjoyed our picnic spot. No bugs , they played american Football tossing it like it was an alien. Then soccer and Klevis was capable of ruining another soccer ball and getting it stuck in a tree twice.