Following the end of WWII my father "Walter" chose to stay in the American sector of Germany, as we had left our world in Poland and did not want to return because Poland was no longer "free". My sister and I were raised as poles living in a new world. My fathers' objective was to move to a new country and start life all over again and we eventually did that by coming to the USA.

My first Christmas while living in Germany, which comes to mind, was when I was perhaps 4 or 5 years old. The country had been devastated because of the war, things like toys were difficult to find. My father wanted us to have a nice Christmas. He knew a local lady in Uffenheim, who was quite skilled in gardening and working with wood. He had her make some wooden toys for my sister and myself. She made me a wooden truck and several animals mounted on wooden platforms with wheels that could be hooked together and pulled along. Oh, what happiness! Oh what joy! Oh what a Christmas! They were all a simple "wooden toy", but provided by a father that loved his son & daughter and brought the Christmas spirit of giving to the life of a little boy and girl.

Eric W. Firkowski
Houston, Texas, 26-10-03