Actually, I didn’t know I was really “looking for” anything, but there was a sense that life is simply flying by pretty fast, our girls are growing up WAY too fast, and I can’t seem to keep up with all of the “stuff” of life that seems important. If you are one of those moms who can keep everything running smoothly, all of the time, I am in awe of you. But I have finally admitted to myself that I never have been able to do it all, no matter how hard I’ve tried. I guess I could just give up and acknowledge that I’m a failure . . . but that somehow just doesn’t seem right, either. And so I carry on, everyday striving to create a home environment where my family feels safe, loved, nurtured, and (occasionally) fed.

Well, it’s OK, I’m not saying I’m just one big mess (all of the time), but lately with all of the home renovation projects we’ve been working on, that’s exactly how it feels most days. In order to get the living room painted, the dishes piled up in the sink. We had grilled cheese sandwiches for supper, and there’s a basket of laundry that needs to be folded. At least it’s clean, but it still annoys me when I have to choose between finishing the painting project or scrubbing the bathroom. I just simply run out to time and energy to do it all. I’m looking forward to having the BIG projects finished, so that hopefully I will be able to face each day and only have to choose between washing the kitchen floor or writing a blog post. Well, something like that.

In any event, I’ve been doing some reading about a whole bunch of stuff when I’m just too exhausted to wash the dishes, fold the laundry, or paint one more wall, and I came across this concept called “hygge.” Couldn’t even pronounce it much less have a clue what it meant. But there seemed to be something about the articles I read that mentioned creating a home environment that is “cosy, comfy, intimate, and homey.” Sounded good to me, so I dug a bit deeper and learned a lot. One thing I discovered, more about myself than anything else, is that “hygge” is what I’ve tried to create in my home and with my family for a very long time. I just didn’t know it was a “thing” and that I wasn’t weird for longing for the comforts and security of “home.”

Here’s one of the websites that describe “hygge” and it is written by a woman who understands and explains it in a way that makes sense to me:  http://hyggehouse.com/hygge

“Some also refer to hygge as an “art of creating intimacy” (either with yourself, friends and your home). While there’s no one English word to describe hygge, several can be used interchangeably to describe the idea of hygge such as cosiness, charm, happiness, ‘contentness’, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness.

Danes created hygge because they were trying to survive boredom, cold, dark and sameness and the undefinable feeling of Hygge was a way for them to find moments to celebrate or acknowledge and to break up the day, months or years. With so many cold, dark, days, the simple act of a candle glowing with a cup of coffee in the morning or a home cooked evening meal with friends can make a huge difference to one’s spirit.

By creating simple rituals without effort {such as brewing real tea with a little china cup every evening to stopping at the flower shop every week} the Danes see both the domestic and personal life as an art form and not every drudgery to get away from. They incorporate hygge into their daily life so it becomes a natural extension rather than a forced and stressful event.

So whether it’s making coffee a verb by creating a ritual of making it every morning to a cosy evening in with friends where you’re just enjoying each others company to the simple act of lighting a candle with every meal, hygge is just about being aware of a good moment.

When I think back on all of the years that I invested in raising my older children, I remember doing things like making a pot of tea, lighting a candle in the evenings, putting on a pretty table cloth just because, or creating a cozy reading corner with a pretty rug, cuddly chair, fluffy blanket, and soft lighting. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I guess I have always practiced a form of my own “hygge.” But for lots of reasons, I think I forgot that part of my soul. Only one of those reasons being that life can get pretty hectic, and who’s got time to slow down long enough to cuddle up in a silly reading corner?

Lately, however, I’ve been thinking a lot about what this all means, and it just seems the right time for me to return to my roots, to re-connect with that part of my soul, and bring back some of the intentional, focused determination to live out every day with a sense of “being here.” Maybe technology is part of the problem, too. How many families spend their evenings with everyone watching a different movie, news channel, or scrolling through Facebook? Not that any of those things are “wrong” but I think, at least for me, we are missing each other. Maybe the Danes have this figured out. Maybe having long, cold, dark days of winter will force us to return to one another and discover the joy of “hygge.” Or whatever you want to call it, but it is interesting to me to realize that something I’ve been doing most of my life actually has a name. And it’s not “crazy.” That is big news to me!!!

I’m curious to know if anyone else has discovered the concept of “hygge” – and I would love to hear your thoughts and what you and your family do to stay connected. What do you think about all this “hygge” stuff?

PS here are a few more websites that describe and explain the concept of “hygge” just in case you are interested in learning more about it:

http://www.countryliving.com/life/a41187/what-is-hygge-things-to-know-about-the-danish-lifestyle-trend/

http://www.visitdenmark.com/hygge-denmark-coziness

(Aaaannnnddddd . . . unfortunately I also discovered that there are those who would turn this into a political conspiracy. Well, I guess if my taking a cup of tea on a wintry afternoon wrapped up in a cozy blanket in front of my fireplace creates some political statement, I certainly can’t figure out what it might be. Just being connected to family, friends, and my own soul are enough for me. No politics intended.)