Dust, Memory, and a Wish for Snow

I started my holidays by babysitting. It was a lot of fun, we watched Home Alone 3 (dubbed in French, of course) and read a few stories. The children were exhausted from their day, all except the youngest.

She stayed up an hour after the others, and we talked about how the world works. It was fascinating how much a person can understand at seven years old. We spoke about death, money, existence and most importantly, the yearning for a snowy Christmas.

The questions she raised felt too big for me to answer. I mostly listened to what she thought. I really enjoyed the existential questioning. "So, like at one point, we are nothing, we're dust in the wind, and the next we exist in a womb, but how?"

The simple yet piercing phrasing of the question was remarkable. She then asked how much I remembered from being younger. As I explained that most of my memories begin around age five, she frowned, unconvinced.

This conversation led me down a path of reflection as I went downstairs to a peaceful living room. I read for a little while, but then the questions of the seven-year-old caught up to me. These questions are no different from those I ask myself from time to time.

I opened my journal for a simple entry, and thoughts just flowed. Once my thoughts dried out, I did a little exercise of writing down fears and insecurities (an exercise inspired by Pharrell Williams' GQ interview). This was rather powerful. To end on a happy note, I decided to start my yearly reflection.

As I went to bed later that evening, I found myself also wishing for snow. The feeling of a snowy Christmas is special and is to be cherished. Let's hope that Estonia will provide this time of year!

This Week's Suggestions:

⛺️ Camping in Alaska's Deepest Snow with a Dugout Survival Shelter:

The Outdoor Boys videos have been my go-to recently. It is such a calming thing to watch for me – going camping in Alaska and simply being, the videos bring a peace of mind and are great to wind down. This video was the one I watched after finishing my reflections and probably what led me to wish for snow.
🎶 "Something Stupid" by Frank & Nancy Sinatra:

Watched a short documentary on Frank Sinatra and happened upon this song again, very relevant for this time of year!

Have a lovely time!