Communication through language and words has been irrefutably argued as the greatest power humans possess. Our character is shaped by the way we use words-Words can heal & comfort, or they can tear someone down.

When I moved to Germany for work, we moved to a small Bavarian village. My German Language skills were mostly limited to vorstellung, kaufen, bestellung….

I fondly cherish the small talks with people from different walks of life whether it is people from different nationalities or people who contribute immensely to community building. These kinds of conversations give me insight into their daily struggles, what matters for them the most, and most importantly give me a perspective.

To my surprise, I discovered that despite my limited German language abilities, I could still have deep, meaningful conversations with the people around me. How was that possible?

Conversations are not just about words. It’s also how approachable one is, kindness, empathy, and respect for the other human being often shows in your body language. It is shown in the way you greet another person or in the way approach one another with a gentle smile and sincere eye contact.

I would like to share a couple of enduring conversations-

First experience: I was attending a workshop event in a nearby city just before Christmas break. In those 2 days, I was greeted by a very kind front desk staff, and we exchanged small talk in German. On the day I was leaving, I approached the front desk staff and went to check with her to book a taxi. Whilst waiting for the taxi, I started to discuss holiday plans. Of course, in between I was stuck with limited German vocabulary, however, that didn’t stop us from having a good heartfelt conversation (sometimes with the help of a translator app). We were so excited to talk about our family, and where we come from. She also made sure to see me off by walking with me to the main door when the taxi arrived and that’s so sweet.

During one of my business trips to Wolfsburg, I hopped on a taxi from the office to Hauptbahnhof. The taxi driver was a non-German, he immediately guessed me to be an Indian origin. Again very interesting conversation in my broken German with the proud father of a daughter who is studying at university. You could see it in his face a sense of pride on contentment.

I was recently hospitalized to fix my wrist with multiple fractures. After my surgery, I shared a room with an elderly Bavarian woman. She looked at me with so much care, checking if I was doing okay, especially at times when I was distressed with pain.

I couldn’t be more grateful for these lessons in humility and kindness. Moving to a country with a different language and diverse culture has shown me that true connection goes beyond words—it lies in how we approach others, with empathy, sincerity, and warmth.