A Small Gesture Showing Greatness

After sixteen years, Angela Merkel’s time as German chancellor is coming to an end. She had decided to step down a year ago, and I wish her well. I hope she will now find the time to enjoy her private life with her husband. Whatever her reasons are for the end of her career, may it be forever her secret.

Millions tuned in when Angela Merkle was celebrated with the “Great Tattoo/Zapfenstreich.” Germany’s federal armed forces bid farewell to Chancellor Angela Merkel with the highest military ceremony for a civilian.

I watched the ceremony, like so many others. The songs she had chosen herself, a tribute to her past and her upbringing. Her speech, showing once again that she is fully aware of the signs of our times. She talks about who fragile our democracies are, how humble she feels.

No matter if you like her or not, if you agree with her politics or not, the world has lost a great leader. I will never forget the day when she announced Germany would welcome 1 Million Syrian refugees at a time when other countries closed their borders. She was often criticized like all politicians are. You can only please the ones who voted for you, the other side, how we like to call it now, is forever unreachable and will never be pleased.

Nothing about the ceremony was out of the ordinary. Just a great woman, receiving a high honor. At the end, however, when most of the people already tuned out, something happened that made me tear up. A sign of greatness is shown in a little gesture. It will stick with me.

Am I the only one who saw it? No mentioning in the media. For me, it spoke volumes.

One of the songs Angela Merkel chose is titled, “It should rain red roses for me,” a famous chanson from the ’60s. For its time a rather provocative song, a woman telling life her wishes. (Lyrics translated below) My grandmother listened to it a hundred times, I didn’t have the brain or age back then, to understand.

A vase with red roses as part of the simple decoration during The Great Tattoo. Right at the end of the military parade (around minute 55:00 in the clip), either someone hands Angela Merkel a red rose, or she takes one herself. She smiles, the special smile we women have when we hold a flower. She takes the rose and walks off. The ceremony is over. She turns around one more time, notices the other lady who had been sitting beside her during the ceremony, and very quickly she reaches and gets another rose. She hands it to the other woman with a smile, a nod, and a few words. It all happens so quickly.

It wasn’t a political stunt or planned, it happened in the moment.

If you are still humble enough and observant enough, and you are able to think about others when you are the celebrated center of attention, that’s real greatness. At least in my books. It’s the little things that show character.

Für mich soll’s rote Rosen regnen/It should rain red roses for me

At sixteen I silently said
I want
I want to be big
Want to win
Want to be happy
Never lie
At sixteen
I silently said
I want
I want everything
Or nothing
It should rain red roses for me
All wonders should encounter me
The world should rearrange itself
And keep its worries to itself
And later
Later, I still said
I would like
To understand
To see a lot
To experience
To keep
And later
And later I still said
I wouldn’t like
To be alone
But still be free
It should rain red roses for me
All wonders should encounter me
Happiness should behave in such a way
It should manage my destiny with love
And today
Today I silently say
I was suppose to
Conform
Make do
Oh, I can’t conform
I can’t make do
I always want to win too
I want everything
Everything or nothing
It should rain red roses for me
New wonders should encounter me
The world should rearrange itself
And that what’s expected
The best kept
Red roses should rain for me
All wonders should encounter me
The world should rearrange itself
And keep its worries to itself
I want