Sällskap från Gemenskap

Sällskap means “company/association” in Swedish, as in, “the company we keep” or, “thanks for the company”.

Gemenskap means “community/connection”, as in, “a community of people”.

An old friend of mine told me a few years ago that when seeking relationships, especially later in life, we had to start with an outer circle of acquaintances and, over time, grow closer to them so that our friendships became a deeper, inner circle.

So, for me, my growing relationships with others have come as a direct result of the connection to the community I am in.

And that – unbelievable to me looking at it two years into a new home in a new place – has me shaking my head in wonder, praise and thanksgiving because what once felt like a life OUTSIDE the circle has – and is – becoming a world with deeper connections and and the beginnings of an inner circle here on these tiny, tiny islands.

❤