Hyggeligt...What A Perfect Word

 We've had a crazy summer and fall. Our daughter got married in June and because of work schedules and other factors, our home has been a place to sleep, eat, converse. It's also been a storage unit because when a child gets married and begins a new life, they amass a lot of stuff. That stuff was in our house.

It's no big deal, really. We know it's temporary.

At least, we hope it's temporary.

Our house is adequate for our needs. That doesn't mean we have empty spare rooms here and there waiting to be filled with stuff. Some of that stuff sat in front of our fireplace. In the summer, it's no big deal, but since it's autumn and the temperatures are falling, we need that fireplace, if nothing else, for the ambiance. Last month the boxes were relocated to their new home, so the other night we "fired" up the fireplace, and the result was...

Hyggeligt.

There's a good chance you've heard of "hygge." It's Danish and it's trendy. I first learned the word back in January, 1985 when I prepared to spend two years of my life living in the small Scandinavian country of Denmark. Like many words in different languages, there's really no true translation of hygge in English. The closest is cozy, but that doesn't do hygge justice. Hyggeligt means full of hygge, or full of cozy. For what hygge means, it's a perfect word.

People have often asked me what hygge is exactly. The best way I can describe it is sitting in a room, a cold winter wind blasts outside. Inside, the room is warmed by friends, family sitting in comfortable furniture, hot chocolate and pastries on the coffee table, a fire in the fire place. Conversation swirls around the room, jokes, laughs, even tears. To me, this is hygge, and that room--that space--is hyggeligt.

Glad it's back.

Give Thanks...For Hygge

 We put up the tree the week before, but we waited until others could help to decorate. Glad we waited--it's always more fun with family. After we finished, we dimmed the lights and put on a Christmas movie. I had some computer work to do (and there was limited room on the couch thanks to the dog...) so I sat at the kitchen table. It was then, I looked over and snapped a picture of the one work that came into my mind...

Hyggeligt.

It's a Danish word without a transition, really. The best way to describe the root word hygge is "cozy." I remember first learning that word and I was told what it meant, but it wasn't until I experienced it in a small front room in Denmark that I really understood what hygge means.

Hyggeligt is a state of being. Imaging sitting in a room with loved ones, lights are low, a fire smolders in the fireplace, snow gently falling outside. Add a cup of hot chocolate and you have hygge, or a hyggeligt experience.

Thankfully, I've had many such occasions in my life. I've been so blessed to be surrounded by family, friends, laughter, and love. As I looked over at my family--all our children except the oldest and his spouse--I felt it, that cozy feeling, It radiated from the decorated tree, the stockings newly hung on the mantle, the warmth generated by many humans under one roof.

Hyggeligt...it's a wonderful word, and a better feeling. I'm grateful for the word and the feeling. I hope everyone reading this can find that in their lives, or if not, can make the world just a little bit more hyggeligt.

It's totally worth it.