Confirmation

Last week we bought a confirmation suit. Of course we went to Policke in Hamburg. It's the perfect place for young (or older) men to shop. It has the feel of a 1920s haberdasher, full of dark little rooms connected by narrow halls and staircases. You're met at the front door by the head sizer, who determines your size with a glance and with a slight movement of his eyes directs you to the room where your size is stocked. Once there, you nod at the salesman (they're all men), who from your nod determines the style and price range you want. You're in and out in 10 minutes. No words are necessary at any time.

Well, maybe not quite. :-)

The confirmation will be at the end of May, on Pentecost Sunday. My mother will be flying in from the US. My father won't be there, of course. He made a huge impression on his grandson, though, despite living an ocean and thousands of miles away. He thought of his grandfather when he chose his confirmation verse*. We also legally added his grandfather's name as an additional middle name for him. He will carry his grandfather's name the rest of his life, and he will be confirmed with it next month.

So I guess my father will be there after all.

*Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."