Sparkling

            When I was working on an American military base in Stuttgart, my boss was a Scotsman from Edinburgh.  When I first started the job, I could barely understand John.  Eventually, though, after training myself to listen closely, I began to understand his lilting Scottish accent.  After we became friends, John told me that he had had trouble understanding my accent too, and he thought that I spoke way too fast!  John said the cutest things about his daughter—he always referred to her as his wee lass.  One weekend he took her to see the Stuttgart Christmas Market, which is one of the oldest and largest Christmas markets in Europe.  When I asked him if they enjoyed their time together, he answered with a sigh and said, “Aye, me wee lassie’s eyes sparkled more than all the twinkle lights of the city.”  While obviously a hyperbolic turn of phrase, the poetry of his Scotts tongue painted a vividly beautiful portrait of his little girl that I will always remember.