A childhood filled with the freedom to explore and imagine nurtures a lifelong sense of wonder. Although Helsinki’s cobbled streets and majestic architecture formed the backdrop of my early life, my world was anchored in one small, precious place within that city. In the northeastern corner of Helsinki, where the pulse of the city softens…
Category: Migration
Life is Short
Each person we lose holds a unique place in our lives, and their absence leaves a space no one else can fill. Have you ever received news that leaves you wandering through the day in a daze, your mind so full and heavy with thoughts that, no matter how much you want to be productive,…
I Still Call Australia Home
To belong to two cultures is not to be divided, but to become a bridge between them. Once again, it came over me with full force, like a bolt out of the blue. At the moment, we have Peter’s Finnish relatives staying with us on their very first visit to Australia. It has been such…
The Great Unknown
Life is fragile, but God’s love remains steadfast through every unknown road. Some years ago, while getting ready for what seemed like just another ordinary day, a breakfast television interview caught my attention. Lisa Marie Presley was speaking about music, her struggle with addiction, and the memories she carried of her father, Elvis Presley. Because…
White Christmas
When we share the traditions of our past with our children, we ensure that our heritage continues into the future. I have only ever had one white Christmas as an adult, and it was truly special. My family and I were living in a small country town in eastern Finland, just 60 kilometres from the…
Homesickness
We do not have to fix every ache of the heart; sometimes we only need to give it space. I was struck by a feeling of homesickness this afternoon. Most of the time, I move through my life without feeling it too sharply, but every now and then it comes over me with such force…
Light Mind
Take life seriously when necessary, but never take yourself too seriously. Being originally from Finland, yet living in Australia, I have often been asked what a Finnish sense of humour is like. If you are Finnish, you would understand immediately just how difficult that is to explain. Customs can be explained. Beliefs can be described….
Rustic Wisdom
A life between two countries is rich and beautiful, but that richness often carries a quiet grief. During our last visit to Finland, I had the privilege of staying in my late mother-in-law’s childhood home, in a small village in the Finnish countryside. These days, that ancestral homestead belongs to one of the cousins, Hannu….
A Few Words
The true value of our words is revealed by how faithfully we stand behind them. If I were asked to name one thing that lies at the heart of Finnish people, I think I would say this: Finns place great value on words. That is something I have carried with me all my life, perhaps…
Outside Finns
Longing for where we came from is not a failure to belong where we are, but a reflection of how deeply we have loved both. There is a word in Finland for people like me, for people like us — those of us who were born there, but live somewhere else in the world. We…
Apples of Gold 