Go up to the clerk at the gas station, the post office, the grocery store. Say hello and ask them politely for help. They oblige, because it is their job and they will help. You find what you need or are taken care of and you say thanks, have a good day or just goodbye. Say hello to your roommate at breakfast then say hey again in passing in the hallway after lunch. American greetings are simple, often obligatory and even empty. When we ask “how are you” , it’s often just out of routine to be nice to others.

In France, when I kept hearing ‘Bonjour’, I just assumed it was just another word for hello. What I learned was that ‘bonjour’ has a deeper meaning than that. The meaning of people when they say that word is, “I want to start a relationship with you today”. So, that is why, once you’ve “bonjoured” someone, you don’t need to say it again. The relationship has already started for the day. You do it the first time you see someone, even if it’s walking in to a store or a restaurant. You have to be prepared to receive or initiate the bonjour so that you can conduct business or continue the relationship. It seems to carry so much more meaning. I want to start my relationship with you today.

Our week here in France has been spent having all our regular business classes, but also learning about French culture, language and seeing historical sites here. We are literally 100 meters from the beach here, so it’s easy to run down to the ocean and try to see England across the channel. Also, we’re living in the Normandy region, which is where the famous battle for Normandy and D-Day took place during World War II. I had the opportunity to visit Omaha beach and several key battleground sites.

Walking into the museum of the American forces during the battle for Normandy was harrowing enough, listening to how the soldiers bravely fought for our country. But what was more sobering was going outside to visit the memorial cemetery. There are over 10,000 soldiers buried here; all the graves are pointed toward America. Walking along and reading the names and states where these brave men rest now made me realize how much I have to be thankful for. These people stood up against one of the greatest superpowers in the world to ensure that the free world stayed free.

On the way out, I stopped to read the memorial wall of soldiers who were never found after the battle. The wall is considerably long, I believe with over 1,000 names just from the Normandy battle, lasting about 1,000 days. The wall says something like this: “Here are the names of the soldiers who lie in arms known only to God”