On your day of independence, my beautiful Finland,my heart turns to you with both pride and sorrow. What a tremendous price has been paid for your freedom.Your independence did not arrive wrapped in celebration—it was carved out of hardship, sacrifice, and the courageof those who had so little, yet gave everything. I think of my…
Tag: Nostalgia
To my grandson
You made me a nanna —from the very first moment your dad placed you gently in my arms,just a minute old, soft and new,you stole my heart completely.And you’ve held it ever since. You, my little ray of sunshine,with that huge smile that stretches all the way to your shining blue eyes.Eyes that sparkle with…
Storyteller
My phone just gave me another warning: Storage almost full. Again. I take a lot of photos. Not always for an audience, not to curate a perfect life, but to gather crumbs — breadcrumbs in the forest of my life. Each image a small, shining proof that I saw, felt, touched, loved. That moment mattered….
Miss You Most
When the lilacs begin to bloom and the forest floor turns into a sea of white lily of the valley, that’s when I miss you most of all. The air grows heavy with a perfume that drifts through my memories like mist through the birch trees, soft and persistent, calling me back. When your nights…
All I Wanted
When I was a little girl and someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never hesitated. I didn’t dream of empires or careers. I simply said, “a mum”. That was all I ever wanted — to be a mother. Not just in name, but in the deepest, most wholehearted…
This is Your Time
Autumn is my spring. While others come alive with the first blossoms and the lengthening days of spring, I stir awake with the falling leaves, with the crisp bite in the air and the golden hush that settles gently across the world. It’s as though something deep within me has been lying dormant through the…
Everyday Joys
What makes me smile? It’s the little things, those fleeting moments often lost in the flurry of daily life. They’re simple, sometimes almost hidden, yet rich with warmth. That first sip of chai in the morning is one of them—the way its warm, spiced aroma rises up like a cosy blanket, gently waking my sleepy…
Grandfather Clock
There is a particular kind of solace that lives in my family’s old grandfather clock. It hangs on my wall downstairs, keeping the rhythm of time with its steady, gentle “tick-tock.” On days when life feels brittle, when I am frazzled or unsettled, I listen to that sound, and it’s like a lullaby, a tender…
Nineteen- Fiftysix
In the gentle rhythm of 1956 Helsinki, my grandfather, a man of meticulous habits and refined taste, commenced his daily journey. From my grandparents’ snug home on Näkinkuja, he embarked on his morning routine, preparing carefully for the day ahead. Then a vibrant 15-year-old, my mum filled their home with her youthful exuberance, and it…
Bless Your Heart
At the moment, our home is like a linguistic smoothie, blending accents from around the world! You see, our friends from Florida are currently enjoying an extended stay with us throughout the entire month of November. Within the confines of our humble home, there’s not just the delightful blend of Finnish and Australian accents echoing…
Apples of Gold 