Wednesday, January 18, 2017

{ Hygge }

Hygge

I recently came across a word that seems to be everywhere, at the moment.

The word is "Hygge"!!!

Do you know what it means?  Well it's a Danish word, usually pronounced as hue-gah. When I first came across it, I wondered what it was and why it seemed to be featured so prominently on Pinterest, in Vlogs, Blogs and just the internet in general. So I did a little digging into what it is, where it came from and what it signifies, and what I came to find out is that it is MY word for this year.

Hygge is a feeling or mood that comes from taking pleasure in making ordinary, every day moments more meaningful, beautiful or special. {Hygge House}

It is the absence of anything annoying, not nice, things that bring us grief or anger, sadness, annoyance or feeling overwhelmed. It is the pure act of being in the moment and enjoying your surroundings.

It was first documented in 18th-century Denmark, and it is now a very important part of Danish life.

Simple elements, small things that make your home look cosy. Lots of candles, and wood and nature themed.

Hygge

Sitting by the fire enjoying the crackling sounds.....

Hygge

Fairy lights and a homemade orange slice garland, just hanging there, letting the light through as if rays through a stained glass window.....

Hygge

Or a simple handmade quilt draped over a chair, just sitting in the corner of the room.....

Hygge

It's plain dried sticks in a beautiful, delicate vase that seems to be hand knitted.....

Hygge

Or the tea set that sits on the baker's rack, waiting to be filled with boiling water and scented tea leaves.....

Hygge

It's the crochet you so enjoy doing, the colors, the textures, the way it brings brightness and joy to a room.....

Hygge

And often times, it's the cup of tea or coffee you sip in the afternoon when you need a little pick me up......

Hygge

Or that simple candle you have lit.....

Hygge

That is Hygge!!!

That is the pure joy of being in the moment and surrounded by simple things.  Letting all cares drift away, and for that single minute you focus on what is in front of your eyes.

I've been feeling this way for a long time, then my husband retired from the Air Force and our lives were turned upside down, nothing made sense, everything was different, and harsh and new, and we struggled to know where we belong.  In a sense, we still do.  In our hearts we will always be a military family, but to the world we are just every day civilians, same as everyone else.  That's not a bad thing, not at all, but when you've devoted your life to a certain way of living, it's very hard to be thrown into the open without knowing where to go from there.

When that happened 3 years ago, I lost my Hygge....I lost that sense of contentment and being in the moment, of seeing only the positive.

I allowed life and it's horrid phases to get to me, to blind me to what I have around me.

When I decided to get back into blogging, about two weeks ago, it was because that feeling had come back.  I felt like my old self again and that right there, that was pure joy.

So Hygge is my word for the year, and for the rest of my life, if I'm to be honest.  See, Hygge is not something you get, or find, it's something you feel.  It is our conscious choice to be in that moment, to stop, to smell the flowers, to let the world go by and to slow down enough to enjoy that

I'm going to take a page from the Danish folks, and really do my best to live up to this.  You'll probably see a lot more on this word and this concept coming up on my blog.

I invite you all to join in, live your life to the fullest, let 2017 be the year where you really enjoy *cozy* and everything it signifies. 

9 comments:

Pamela said...

Slow down and find your hygge - we could all use that in our lives.

Sandra said...

I think it's so important to do. I knew what I wanted my year to be, and the more I researched Hygge the more I realized, that it was my word :)

Liz said...

I really love this! Definitely a way of feeling happy, content, comfortable, and cozy in just every day life.

Heather said...

I just love this. I think I need to learn more about Hygge...and claim it as my word for the year, too. Thank you for sharing!

Jean said...

I considered that one for my word of the year as well before settling on a phrase (because I have to rebel)but I do love the idea. Beautiful photos in your post, as always.

Pat said...

I love this, really made me think, great word and ideas.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love this!

Carol said...

I love this! The first time I heard about was actually in the fall at a professional development seminar -- the presenter was using it for her January programming theme! I forgot about it until I read your post. I think I need to refocus on my own hygge.

carrie@northwoods scrapbook said...

Love it Sandra!! Perfect word for the year - and I'm so happy for you, that you're feeling more back to yourself. I've said prayers for quite a while now for your family...and I sure believe in the power of that. ;) I love seeing you back on here posting like you used to as I have always loved your blog. I pray that this year continues to bless you many times over and you will enjoy living in the moment and enjoying all the "cozy" and the "hygge" in the days ahead!! xoxo