I know that many of you find a special word at the start of every year, a word with a meaning which you want to paint the year with. I have never done that, but as I was out hiking with Terje this morning, I knew that I have a word for this year, a word I share with the rest of our world I think. The word HOPE.
The Norwegian pastor and writer Eyvind Skeie has written a beautiful advent hymn. One of the lines in the song goes something like this:
let us all share the hope so that good things can happen let earth and heaven meet, a candle is lit for that
Hope is easy to find on beautiful days like today. We all know that life is not always like this, but let us do what we can to make 2021 the year of HOPE, for ourselves, our family, our neighbours, for the world.
There is an aspen just outside our cabin windows. Well, actually there are more than one, but this special aspen is the one I follow through the year. From its black, bare branches in winter, the first leaves, which come late, later than the leaves on most other trees nearby, the whisper of the aspen leaves all through summer and then the let go in autumn.
I love the aspen. Its beauty, its stubbornness, its whispering song in the wind, its let go in autumn.
Last week we got a new UN report on climate changes, where they warn: we have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe.
12 years! In 12 years I will be 72. Our grandson will be 15. How do we act to this? What do we do? We all have a responsibility to ACT NOW!
I love my aspen. I love nature. And as I wrote in a post a few days ago - you do not destroy what you love.
I am searching for ways to act. I want to be creative. I write a nature journal, the blog Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok (Britt Arnhild´s nature journal) a blog which helps me to see, really see, with eyes, ears, tongue, fingers, feet, heart every single day. Through this nature journal I hope to share this love, hope to help others to see. I also have another blog, dagens lille grønne (daily green ideas) where my mission is to share ideas of a greener way of living
I need all the help I can get in this fight. We need all the help we can get. We need to fight together. We need to love together. For the sake of ourselves, for the sake of our children and our grandchildren. For the sake of all human beings. For the sake of nature. For the sake of Mother Earth.
Our aspen has lost most of its leaves now. I hope, I pray, that new leaves will sprout next spring, and the next after that, and in 12 years, in 20 years, in 50 years.......
Skogskyrkogården (the Forest Cemetery) is an outstandingly successful example of a designed cultural landscape which blends landform and natural vegetation with architectural features to create landscape that is ideally suited to its purpose as a cemetery. The creation of Asplund and Lewerentz at Skogskyrkogården established a new form of cemetery that has exerted a profound influence on cemetery design throughout the world. UNESCO´s justification 1994
In between thousands of graves and huge old pines, bird boxes were hung.
There were no information,
and since we write August, there were no birds in them.
I closed my eyes,
and saw and old widower.
His wife had been a lover of all birds though her life.
With her death, all the birds had left their garden.
Now, in his loneliness, he spent long days and nights making bird boxes, and every time he came to see the woman he loved though life and death, he hung a new box in the forest where her grave was.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::..
Skogkyrkogården is situated a few metro stops south of Stockholm city.
It is the time for buying Christmas gifts. I had some shopping time after work, and headed for a very special store downtown, a pop up store, open now in December, run by Kirkens Bymisjon, The City Mission in Trondheim.
The assortment in the new store is not very big, but I knew what I was looking for, angels, made of broken glass. In Christmas colours, in advent colours, yes, in all the colours of the rainbow.
I buy a few every December, so many of my friends have one now :-), but it can never be wrong with one or two more.
There were more things as well, broches, envelopes, afghans or what you see in the photo above, handmade ribbons. Perfect for wrapping gifts.
The items for sale are made in Engleverkstedet, The Angel Workshop, or in Arbeidsrommet, The Studio. By people who, for different reasons, are outside the regular working life.
I especially love the afghans. Squares in all different colours, many of them made by volunteers around the city, given to the City Mission, and here they are sewn together, into the softest, cosiest blankets you can imagine.
A rack held a lot of single crocheted squares, sorted by colours. "What are these for?" I asked. "The woman behind the counter smiled, "If you want an afghan but don´t find one in the colour combination you like in the store, you can pick your favorites from the single squares, and we will sew them together for you."
What a brillian idea.
The City Mission dreams about a permanent store, with a café and may be a studio in the same place. I share their dream annd I know I would take my coffee there :-)
#filltheworldwithhope
You can also read about the pop up store in my Norwegian blog Vandring gjennom året (A Walk Through the Year)
I have not posted any political comment on my facebook wall today. It has been hard, but I decided early not to directly comment the US election. Without any comment from me, the newsfeed is still overflowing with posts about the new elected president. Most of the words and photos flightens me. So much anger, so much hate, so many ugly posts.
Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, a Norwegian and a man I know and deeply respect, now the General Secretary of World Council of Churches then posted this on his facebook wall: The presidential campaigns in the USA are over. The Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace continues. More needed than ever.
I couldn´t agree more, and after a while decided to post home instead of hate. I challenge you to do the same. #filltheworldwithhope
Here is what I posted:
There is a cart in my life, a cart which follows me aroud, wherever I go, whatever I do. The cart is my treasure chest, inside it I have collected what I need to walk the path which is for me to walk. Many of the items in the cart is of no use, neither for me nor for the world. Some are even dangerous. At the same time the cart has room for more. A lot more. Every morning, every night, every hour of the day, I fold my hands and ask God to help me let go of what doesn't belong, to make room for what is needed. #filltheworldwithhope
All texts and photos by Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland
About me
About me
I am living in a red house surrounded by a blue garden near Trondheim, Norway. I love everydays and post about my steps through life. Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods is open to everybody. Welcome over!
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