For a family living in the tropics and in the deserts the idea of a white winter wonderland is a bit of a rarity. But on this trip to Sweden - regardless of the emotional rollercoaster that it took us through - we had a chance to connect with a part of nature that we were not accustomed to. Only daddy has lived in a cold winter environment before and the rest of the crew was unaccustomed to anything requiring longs pants and coats, much less having to deal with the bitter cold of freezing temperatures.
Thankfully for us the temperatives didn't make it too far below freezing and the 'a little above, a little below' of the time we were there resulted in comings and goings of overcast skies, snow storms and the following quiet calm of post-storm, thick snowed neighborhoods. It was the kind of thing where you simultaneously wanted to get out and play in the snow and sit inside, sipping a cup of hot chocolate, watching the natural stillness and wonder of the day/night.
If we had not been there for Aleko's funeral one could say that it was an amazing trip. We got stuck there an extra week or so (with Covid making its way through the family in shifts) but recognized just how magical the place was and how incredible the opportunity to just be part of this winter wonder. The girls were giddy. The parents were excited. The snow sat there, waiting to be engaged with. White everywhere. And that chill or a nordic winter day. In so many ways it was the perfect way to say goodbye to Uncle 'Eko and celebrate Pappou's turning 90. Quiet. Splendorous. Incredibly beautiful.
So as we made our way - or waiting through it - and did as best as we could to work from a distance, it was the amazing natural surroundings that brought that sense of being to us. And the added fact that the silver lining of Covid was to be 'stuck' with one's family. It was as if the world was telling us that it'll be okay. There is much in the world to allow in, to welcome and to grow from. And Aleko is there too. In it. In us.
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