Family Archives

Hold On to that Holiday Hygge

Hygge is the sense of well-being we enjoy at Christmas and long for throughout the year

Hang on to your holiday hygge — A Norwegian *koselig* star

When the magic of Christmas fades, it is hard to hold on to that holiday hygge. My Scandinavian kinsfolk use this term—hygge—to describe the warm, cozy feeling you get when you curl up with a good book in front of a crackling fire. Or when you share conversation with friends over steaming cups of cocoa. The Norwegians call this feeling koselig, but the Danish word hygge is more familiar to most of us. Either way, it is the state of mind many of us yearn to hold on to long after the last Christmas decorations have been packed away for the year.

In Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow, author Jamie Erickson writes, “Hygge is simple but sophisticated, warm and inviting, homemade and rustic. Hygge is the opposite of hustle. It eschews over-abundance. It savors. It takes things slow and envelopes you in sanctuary. In a world largely defined by rush, hygge welcomes rest. It invites you to enjoy the simple pleasures of slow living, savored moments, and fostered friendships.”

A deeper holiday hygge

Our desire to hold on to that holiday hygge stems from the ache within each one of us to experience comfort, connection and community. In the grind of daily living, we hunger for contentment and belonging. We are too often weary, and we seek an inviting atmosphere that affords us rest and welcomes us into a space where we are known. Hygge is the secret ingredient that helps create that space.

Join me at The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture to explore the deeper meaning of hygge. Learn how to tap into its quiet power—not only at Christmastime, but all year long.

C ontinue reading my full article, A Deeper Holiday Hygge here.

A Few F-words for 4th of July

Patriotism has taken a hit in recent years. Especially during the 4th of July. In some circles it’s fashionable to slam the U. S. of A. — to punctuate its flaws and denigrate its virtues. Other camps seem to have confused love of country with an exaggerated sense of purpose. Either way, decorating the porch with red, white and blue bunting feels a little off kilter this year.

I’m old enough to remember the national exuberance during the Bicentennial celebration in 1976. That summer, tall ships filled New York and Boston harbors. Johnny Cash served as Grand Marshall at the U.S. Bicentennial parade in our nation’s capital on the 4th of July. There was an official Bicentennial logo and commemorative postage stamps, coins, license plates and other merchandise.

Disneyland and Disney World hosted America on Parade. Local communities painted benches, fire hydrants, mailboxes and phone booths in patriotic colors. The popular Schoolhouse Rock! series created America Rock to teach youngsters about American history and government. (Throughout the year, I proudly wore the shirt my mom hand embroidered using the Betsy Ross animated character from the series – seen here.)

That summer, the wave of patriotism drenched America from coast to coast. We loved it. It felt refreshing to celebrate our nation on the 4th of July. To acknowledge our history with a sense of accomplishment even as we emerged from some difficult moments including the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

By many accounts, America is having a difficult moment right now, in 2023. We are polarized. We are mean-spirited. We are worried.

Which is precisely why the 4th of July is a good time to pause and ponder the fundamental and enduring values we continue to hold dear. It’s okay to do that even as we acknowledge our shortcomings. And it’s possible to respectfully observe nearly 250 years of achievement from a posture of humility.

Here’s a start. A carefully curated selection of F-words worthy of celebration this 4th of July, from the pages of our own history:

Family Ties and the Longing for Belonging

Genealogy is having a pop culture moment. It seems that capturing family narrative helps us feed a longing for belonging.

(This long-form article was originally written for and appears on The Washington Institute of Faith, Vocation and Culture platform)

Who knew spitting into a plastic tube would become such a popular pastime? Not to mention lucrative. The direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing market — think 23andMe or AncestryDNA — has skyrocketed since it was first launched in the early 2000s. Today, it generates $1.3 billion dollars and is projected to grow four-fold before 2030, to $5.8 billion.

By the start of 2019, more than 26 million Americans (8% of the U.S. population) had taken one of the many at-home DNA tests available, according to a report by MIT Technology Review. The public’s desire for accessible and affordable data to make personal health decisions has been a major factor leading to the industry’s accelerated growth. DTC genetic tests can be used to determine risks for developing certain diseases, for example, or results can predict how an individual might respond to certain medications.

But the application that has captured the public’s collective imagination most has less to do with medical calculations and everything to do with family history. DTC genetic testing is the shiny new tool in the genealogy tool kit.

Measuring the Milestones

In the age of Coronavirus and social distancing, how are we measuring the milestones that define our humanity?

My youngest daughter received the heartbreaking email this week we all knew was coming but sincerely prayed would not. Her university, like so many others around the country, cancelled its upcoming commencement exercises due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, the announcement does not change the accomplishment. My daughter and millions of her peers have earned their degrees. No one can take that achievement away, not even a wretched virus. But it will be a graduation without fanfare for this generation. Continue reading “Measuring the Milestones”

Notre Dame’s Enduring Message of Hope

Even in tragedy, Notre Dame offers an enduring message of hope. As sure as the sun rises and sets each day, we have been comforted by a certainty that, always at the heart of Paris, Notre Dame stands firm.

Memories of an admiring expat

How can this be? Disbelief consumed me even as flames consumed the centuries-old Notre Dame cathedral in Paris yesterday. Like the rest of the world, I watched transfixed as the horrific inferno swallowed one of mankind’s most enduring and graceful architectural accomplishments.

Like millions of pilgrims through the ages, I have stood marveling at the base of this magnificent gothic structure, walked reverently through its medieval passages, and stood in awe of its craftsmanship and beauty. For two years, Notre Dame provided a constant backdrop for my daily life. My husband and I lived in a neat flat with our two young daughters just a few miles from the cathedral, expats on a grand Parisian adventure.