Do you still make New Years resolutions?
I am more interested in putting on lots of layers and taking them off again in 2024!
This week I learnt two important Finnish words:
Välipäivät and kerrospukeutuja
The word Välipäivät refers to the days in between Christmas and New Years. People take a ‘pause’ and like to stay in or near their homes. Sound familiar? I think we all have a bit of tradition to take it a bit easy on those days. Maybe sleep a bit more, finally finish that book or just hang out and watch tv. Or go out chasing after christmas sales! The only difference I experienced in staying in Finland, is to make sure I plan my day when I do go out is when there is actually daylight.
It takes me at least 15 minutes before I close the door to leave the house. Getting all those layers of thermo clothes on. Then boots, coat, hat, and two mittens. That makes me one of the people they like to call here kerospukeutuja: a person who dresses in layers.
When I am finally all dressed up and ready to go, of course it is always on that moment that I realise I forgot to go to the bathroom..
On the last day of 2023 we walked on a quiet snowy path and were treated to the rising sun and the dancing of sunbeams on the frozen sea. Amazed by the sight I wanted to stand for hours and watch. Soon I enough I was reminded that when it is -14 degrees that is probably not such a good idea. Soon I could feel the cold creeping in my toes and feet.
We headed onwards in the snowy landscape and I let my thoughts go free
Everything changes the moment the world is covered with snow. Not only the layered clothes I need to wear.
I start walking slower.
I take time to look around me and try to recover my memory how the landscape looks like without snow.
Snow covers up sounds. As cars pass by at a slower pace I can hardly hear them. In the wide open outdoors next to the sea the only noticeable sound is the rhythmic cracking sounds as my boots touch the snowy underground.
It feels nice and cosy to be covered up in warm layered clothes in a snowy layered landscape. How easy it is to do so in daily life as well. To keep up appearances when I have a bad day. To pretend I enjoy something just out of politeness. To cover up my pain, anger or sadness. Despite the fact that I have experienced so many times that it does not work.. And yet I keep doing it. The only difference maybe is that I have become a bit more milder to myself when I fall in that trap again.
Starting this substack in may this year definitely helped me to get better in taking of some of my layers.
I have experienced opening up makes people around me do the same. It led me to some unforgettable moments and conversations. All things I did not define in any New Years resolution for this year.
So when I was thinking about 2024 resolutions I realised I am not going to define any. Neither am I going to define huge goals that I definitely need to reach.
What I am going to do is to close down 2023 in the words of Paulo Coulho
Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.
In the mean time I will walk on the road that will get me through 2024.
Will you walk with me in 2024?