Goodbye to Oma by Diane Ogden

I met Oma three or four times now over the past eighteen months-two years.  She is the Mother of one of my clients.  My client is German, from Germany. His wife is Japanese from Japan. Both parents speak the language of their Mother country and have taught their child to also speak both languages.
The first time time I had met Oma, she had come to visit her son and his family and the Grandchild who was only 18 months old and did not know her Oma. (Grandma in German) So Oma bought the little one at least thirty presents and wrapped them all pretty as can be.  So each time the little one allowed Oma to change her or feed her or hold her, she gave the child a gift. Quite the sweet way to help the Grandchild remember and bond with her.  Must say it was pretty cute too.
The second time Oma came to Wisconsin it was summer and I worried she might have a heat stroke because she worked in their yard all day in the hot weather...The baby was getting to know her this visit.
The next time she came it was winter and she insisted upon walking to the grocery store in twenty five degree below zero weather...  I called her son at work because this time I was worried she would freeze, but he said, "Yes we know, but she wont listen...so we have to let her go."   She came back just fine a couple hours later. 
This time, it's Christmas, and her daughter in law is out of town on business, so Oma got to take care of her son, and his small daughter, like in the decades of Oma's past.  We chat when she is visiting, but I have to listen close as her German accent is very thick. Today we talked about my family background being from Mecklinburg Germany and the origin of Nicholaus. (Santa Claus) And today she told me she would be gone upon our next time at their home.  Something spurned me to take her hands in mine, vs shaking hands.  I did this.  And her response was something I will never forget in my lifetime.  I looked into her eyes and said "Merry Christmas and may you have a safe and protected journey home. It has been so nice to see you again."  She squeezed my hands gently and as she looked into my eyes, hers began to sparkle, twinkle, shine, something!!  It was a spiritual moment without any doubt.  I wondered if Oma was an Angel.  Because that is the closest I have ever come to seeing an Angel in someones eyes.  Oma isn't a beautiful woman in the eyes of the fleshly world, but to me, she is an Angel from Germany. Or maybe she is one of the few truly nice human beings in this world.