Shielding Oneself With Hygge

 By Maryanna Gabriel

"...if I have faith that can move mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:1

"A Room of One's Own"

It has been an intense week for many with the full moon, the eclipse, political upheavals, tornadoes, and transitions implying goodness knows what.

I have been shielding myself. 

My loving friend died this week with her dignity intact through MAID. She had Parkinson's and was in a care facility and knew it was her time. At the very last, friends gathered around her to recount stories and honour her gifts to us. Her choice is one I respect, but still it has been hard. 

For the living, we go on, such as it is, in these strange times. For me, the best way to counter death is through connecting with the beauty of life through the Danish concept of hygge. Hygge is about embracing coziness with a studied tour de force. This meant having a wood fire, lighting candles, playing inspirational music, and taking extra care with special dinners, a call to a dear friend. It meant hot baths and snuggling with the cosiest of blankets and giving myself permission to go slow and just be. It also meant getting outside and embracing the emerging seedlings and budding trees whilst envisioning serene summer spaces.

One has to make each day count after all.