Eatdrink #76 March/April 2019

62 | March/April 2019
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
The Lighter Side
Home is Where the Hygge Is
By SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD
I
was out shopping recently and happened
to spend a few minutes browsing the
shelves of scented candles. It was
interesting to see how many of the
choices were happy, nostalgic treats like
sugar cookies, apple pie, and vanilla birthday
cake. All instantly conjured up with the quick
rasp of a match. This ties in nicely with the
many popular books available which outline
how to create what the Danes call “hygge”
(pronounced hoo-gah), a now over-used buzz
word that defines that
snug feeling of cradling
a mug of hot chocolate
in front of the fire whilst
wearing fancy socks that
have never had cat hair
on them.
The reality is that while
most of us absolutely
do crave this feeling, we
are also excruciatingly
busy. When time permits
(often at the ghastly hour of 10 pm when we
may still be folding laundry by the light of the
dryer) we still feel guilty about failing to do
more, be better. Women are especially prone
to this kind of anguish and tend to undervalue
what they accomplish every day.
Yet small things are important and their
effect is cumulative.
Despite now being over six feet tall, my own
sons can still wax sentimental about going
to the market when they were small. Even
though I myself was often exhausted and
shuffling with a coffee, they only remember
The Cheese Ladies. These sparkling women
took a genuine interest in them every
Saturday and shaved off crumbly shards
of Cheshire or offered squares of buttery
Havarti, all the while earnestly listening.
From Colby to New Zealand Cheddar they
tried them all, and my eldest son began
shyly bringing a drawing each week which
the women proudly displayed till it curled
and faded. Kindness and sincerity are good
business partners, as it happens. We bought a
lot of cheese!
I was extremely moved recently by a tender
anecdote delivered at a memorial service. A
young woman, the eldest granddaughter, held
everyone’s attention by eloquently describing
the shivery chill of a wet bathing suit after
a long afternoon of swimming, and her
squealing delight as her grandmother wound
her into a soft, thick towel which she had
thoughtfully toasted
in the dryer first. She
was then presented
with a cherry
Popsicle, before
skipping back to
play. So simple. But
it’s a feeling she can
rekindle throughout
her life: feeling loved,
cared for, cherished.
There are other
things. A child’s excited pride in unclipping
the Tupperware lid at soccer time. “Guys! It’s
watermelon!” A friend of mine once marveled
at her own mother’s help after the birth of
a child. “She made chicken, she dried sheets
outside. And she folded laundry perfectly —
like they do in the store!”
Many of us know and dread the endless
preparations that go with camping. But
ultimately, who remembers the homemade
gourmet foil packets that cook uncertainly in
the ashes of the fire for dinner? No one — not
when there are s’mores!
Light a scented candle by all means — but
look carefully at your own life, gentle reader.
You may already be creating far more hygge
than you know.
SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD is a freelance writer and
regular contributor to Eatdrink. Read more of Sue’s work
on her blog www.speranzanow.com