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INSPIRED
Things My Polish Mom Used To Say
Some of them are pretty darn funny to me now
I enjoy reading the work of Melissa Frost, a delightful Norwegian-born woman whose stories of acclimating to American suburban life touch my heart. A child of immigrants myself, I often share her wonder and delight at the rites, rituals, and habits of Americans in the wild. Reading her articles has also helped me better understand how Nordic values of home, truth, and minimalism can enrich our lives.
Melissa’s most recent article explores a few Nordic phrases that define that culture’s down-to-earth appreciation for the obvious, the simple, and sometimes absurd events that mark our lives.
I can relate
We spoke Polish at home growing up, and my mother was the queen of weird proverbs. Back then, they would fly right over my little head. These days, some of her bizarre phrases make sense. We can chalk that up to the wisdom of middle age which, like the mysterious spare tire around my waist and the ever-multiplying crop of gray hairs…