Our lives hold more than any record of them could ever contain. My phone flashes the warning again: Storage almost full. Again. I take a lot of photos. Not for an audience. Not to curate a flawless life. I take them to gather crumbs, breadcrumbs scattered through the forest of my days. Each image a…
Tag: Childhood
Miss You Most
Sometimes what we miss about a place is the way we felt within ourselves when we were there. When the lilacs begin to bloom and the forest floor turns into a sea of white lily of the valley, that is when I miss you most of all. The air grows heavy with perfume, drifting through…
The Strength of a Bridge
What once felt like being caught between two worlds can become the ability to bring them closer. Some days, I carry Finland without noticing its weight. Other days, a familiar melody, a few Finnish words or a photograph of birch trees brings it so close that, for a moment, I almost forget how far away…
Completely Alive
Spending time with children can help us see the world with fresh wonder. The night couldn’t be more perfect for a stroll along the beach. The breeze is gentle, and the sea mirrors its stillness. I inhale deeply, letting the scents of the evening fill my senses, the salty mist in the air, the refreshing…
Everyday Joys
What we look forward to, experience and remember can each bring their own kind of joy. What makes me smile? It’s not only the grand occasions. It’s the small things, the fleeting, almost hidden moments that could so easily be missed in the rush of daily life. Simple things. Quiet things. Yet rich with warmth….
Cardamom Spice
Love passed down through ordinary moments can shape generations. There is a place in my childhood memories sweeter than almost any other – my grandma’s kitchen. There was nowhere on earth I would rather have been than in my mummi’s warm and welcoming kitchen, learning to bake pulla, that beautiful sweet Finnish cardamom bread whose…
Childhood Summer Cottage
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…
Childhood Home
Written by Jaana M. H. JokinenTold by my mother, Mirja AnneliSeptember 1949, Kallio, Helsinki, Finland Slowly but surely, the days were growing colder and darker. School had started again, and autumn had arrived. I have always been a summer person, so even as an eight-year-old, I was not at all pleased by the changing season….
The Fire
Written by Jaana M. H. JokinenTold by my grandmother, Hilja MariaMarch 1913, Joroinen, Finland It was a cold early spring day in Joroinen, in Northern Savonia in the eastern part of Finland, where my family lived. Joroinen is often called the “Paris of Savonia”, because in the 1700s the noblemen there mainly spoke French. Even…
Road Closed
When life feels overwhelming, faith gives us somewhere safe to rest. On rainy summer days, my mum used to send us children up into the attic. As an adult, I understand why. Ours was only a small cottage, and when rain kept us indoors, we children must have made the walls ring with our noise,…
