Saved by the Braid…

A story about family geneaology research, a wedding picture and how a braid was a determining factor in my familys' continutiy.

The Mystery Man Amongst Us

This man is part of my family. He stands proudly in his place on the window seal, together with photos of my husband and kids. He is by far the most prominent-looking of them all. He is all dressed up in his finest gear. But who is he? My grandmother told me that he was...

Scars For Life

Reading letters from my great grandmother I slowly unveil her history and piece together the puzzle that is our familys' legacy

Courage and new beginnings

Going for what you want out of life is not always easy, but it all comes down to taking those first steps and overcoming your fears. Olga, is an example of that.

What do You Tell Your Kids When the World is Burning?

How do you explain the meaning of life to kids who grow up while the world around them is burning? How do you answer their worried questions about their future, when people are are dying from meaningless violence by the minute, all over the world. I'm asking, because I know I'm not alone thinking about...

Revisiting History

A reflection on how getting to know your family history can make you feel more connected to your relatives and where you come from. I just received a book I ordered. It's a pretty old book - printed in 1921. I got a tip from a newly found relative that there was a story about...

Running to keep calm

Are you one of those who can't get by if you don't get to go out running? What is it that makes you do it? I went out running the other day. No big deal for lots of people, perhaps, but for me it has been a process. Running used to be connected to mixed...

Family Matters

Why does family matter so much? I live in a very individualistic society. Sweden is off the charts when it comes to personal freedom and how little we actually take care of our own family (by that I mean relatives like parents, cousins, old folks...) We have built a welfare state, that makes us superflouos...

Effortless change

Have you ever thought you have to change something that you are doing? And then simply not done it because to keep on doing what you have always done felt much easier? Habits seem hard to change, but once we have overcome the first obstacles, I usually find it harder to go back to how...

Winter silence

I often think about how happy I am to have found peace to stay on for a longer period of time in Stockholm. It truly is an amazingly beautiful city. It's hard to believe this is the capital of Sweden. About 900 000 inhabitants live here, which makes it a small town compared to cities...

Reflections on Berlin

Berlin is ever changing. Last week I read that they've decided on building four new skyscrapers in the city. They were first planning for a hight of 150 metres, but now it seems they will make do with 130 metres 🙂 They're also tearing down old buildings around Hakescher Markt, where the area is becoming...

The importance of memory

Mindfulness. It’s about being in the moment. Nothing but what you feel right now should matter. Nothing but the sensation of putting your foot to the ground, feeling the gravel underneath your soles, the wind against your face and how the clothes on your body feel against the skin. Being in the now. Something to...

Curiosity, Culture and Change

Thinking about people and companies undergoing change, I find that some things seem to repeat themselves. People are in essence driven to change by the belief that they will benefit from it in some way. Even if it's for a "greater good," the personal benefit still has to be there. Few people will contribute to...

Life changing choices

Some choices are bigger and more life changing than others. Last weekend, I went to Falun - a beautiful world heritage site, hosting the Falu copper mine, the Carl Larsson Residence and many other historic buildings. Falun was a big part in keeping Sweden afloat hundreds of years ago. Today, they still produce the famous...

Food, flowers and a garden swing

You could hear it from afar. The metal garden swing, sitting on the stone pavement laid out in the garden of my grandparents. Thin grass grew between the stone slabs, but did nothing to prevent the swing from giving up its creaky sound. The heavier the ones swinging back and forth were, the less it...

“Fika” and mindfulness

I can’t pick anymore. My back hurts. He's ten years old. Just now, he stood, fully focused. Bent over the wild strawberries, picking them carefully between his thumb and forefinger. Berries so small, bursting with sweet taste. He was careful not to press too hard. Gently tugging them from the stem, putting them whole in...

Only in America?

Only in America. Or wherever you are. Rama Allen is a man, who has a job you think is kind of impossible. It’s all about being what he himself calls a ”futurist weirdo”. And that is an understatement. I listened to Rama Allen at the Festival of Digital Narratives, organized by Nordvision in Helsinki in...

Making the days count

Soon, summer holidays are here. Like every year, I am fascinated by how much one can long for the holidays. It's like we're anticipating such a long stretch of free time, where all and nothing shall happen. Time to spend with family and friends, time to travel, time to enjoy nature, time to read and...

Reorganising life and embracing change

What happens to people going through major changes? How do you deal with change? I've been thinking about this as I have friends who are in the  middle of change in different ways and I've also thought a lot about my grandparents, who had to tackle major life changing situtations throughout their whole lives. My...

Screen reflections

She's eleven years old, soon turning twelve. She loves her phone which carries all her favourite tv- and youtube-series, her music lists, her social media apps and of course all the phone numbers to friends and family. But even with all this, she has a hard time connecting. Not with the internet, but with new...