HYGGE HAPPY Many changes have taken place in our little world the last few years, especially since our family have begun to grow & multiply. One of the biggest changes has been that our life has become more centered around the home and the homes of our loved ones. Whereas 5 years back, I would have been standing in the midst of a busy restaurant serving tea or coffee to a complete stranger.
The more children I have the more sentimental I've become. Don't get me wrong, they do drive me crazy at times, but they have also taught me how to relax and enjoy life. Life for me has become much more of a creative one and I've especially come to enjoy creating with friends and family.
This year I've been invited along to a friends craft group. While the children play their imaginary games in the garden, us mums gather around the kitchen table with cuppas & nibblies and our crafty projects spread out in front of us. I often feel like time does not exist whenever we get together, maybe it's because of the freedom of coming & going whenever we like and staying for however long we want.
I recently came across a Danish word which I believe best explains the intimacy which I have found in our friendships with one another. To 'hygge' or 'hyggelig' for the Danes generally means to be cheerful, comfortable and cozy with friends and family. Candles, blankets, couches, small homes, coffee and hot meals - these are all associated as hyggelig things. But I get the sense that the word has a richer and deeper meaning than just the ambience of a home. I have come across another definition which explains it to be an art of creating intimacy: a sense of comradeship, conviviality and contentment. Maybe its one of those words that are difficult to truly translate into another language. Nonetheless, I love the word and have added it to my vocabulary :D
These past few weeks I've learnt how to make fitted sheets and pillow slips, which may seem really plain and simple, but not to my little girl. All she wanted to do was dance on her bed all night long.
