Diary of Not a Wimpy Widow

Sweden

Written by

kcmoyer65

in

June, 2023

I am sitting in the car which my cousin Kristina is driving along the highway, through the fields and woods of Vestergotland, near the shores of the great Lake Vanern.

I am looking out the car window at the landscape where my grandmother was born, and my great-grandmother, and her mother.

And then I am suffused with a sense of peace…I breathe in and out, not saying a word. 

It is as though my eyes are absorbing the landscape and then transmitting the view to all the cells in my body, down to the mitochondria beating out energy, these cells inherited from my mother, and in turn inherited from her mother, and through all the women in my maternal line. 

This great peace fills every part of my body. I feel my heart beat slowing. 

It is a though my body has recognized this land, and every cell within me is saying

“You are home.”

It is like nothing I have ever felt before. And the moment passes, and we drive on. 

Kristin Moyer

Comments

9 responses to “Sweden”

  1. Sandy Avatar
    Sandy

    Beautiful. Your words touched my heart and soul.

    Reply
    1. kcmoyer65 Avatar
      kcmoyer65

      Thanks so much, dear friend!

      Reply
  2. Suzanne Rothwell Avatar
    Suzanne Rothwell

    Ahh dear Kristin — Thank you for including me in your distribution list. Our American (including Alaskan) Indiginous people might say that you experienced their feelings of connection to their homeland–so often ripped from them. I am glad that you had that feeling of belonging with your land.

    Reply
    1. kcmoyer65 Avatar
      kcmoyer65

      I wonder how many other people experience this when returning to a homeland? Perhaps because I was quiet and not driving the car, I was open to the elements? It really was quite strange.

      Reply
  3. Carole Guerard Avatar
    Carole Guerard

    Wow Kristin this is so powerful. I was so happy to see Not a Wimpy Widow in my mail box. Your description of the emotion you felt ..having v this country and your ancestors morph into every cell of your body…I felt it!
    Well done.
    First time to your homeland?

    Reply
    1. kcmoyer65 Avatar
      kcmoyer65

      So great to hear from you, Carole! Bill and I visited in 2006, after I connected with this branch of my family through research….sadly, those family connections had been lost. I need to write about the remarkable Summer Solstice I had with my Swedish family! hugs to you, Kristin

      Reply
  4. Willow Bodman Avatar
    Willow Bodman

    I Hope you received my comments, Kristin. They seemed to disappear when I subscribed to receive future postings by email.

    The gist: so happy you were able to have this transformative experience, one that bound you even more tightly to your ancestry.

    Reply
    1. kcmoyer65 Avatar
      kcmoyer65

      Thanks so much, Willow. It really was a remarkable experience, and wonder if others have experienced it when visiting the country of an ancestor.

      Reply
  5. Barbara Berndt Avatar
    Barbara Berndt

    Thank you for sharing this special moment, Kristin.

    Reply

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