LITTLE THINGS

A few days ago when I came out of the shower and reminisced about once again times together with my family; those best times when we were all still together. I realized something. Just all those little things that seem insignificant (or maybe even annoying) at the moment are now -years later- those most important moments. Such as moments when we watched the formula or hill jump together (well mom was often busy in the kitchen but sometimes she was involved in watching or at least she was listening) or moments when we ate dinner with my family and mom pushed me to take more food to make sure I get enough of it … even if I had been going to cheerleader training (or to match to cheer). In those moments, dad was often angry to mom because he understood better that I couldn’t eat myself too full before training, but mothers are mothers, and do not always think so much with reason, but more with emotion.

Hill jumper Janne Ahonen was my idol when I was young.

Sports connect people! Sports memories are significant, especially when Finland was successful… like when Mika Häkkinen won the F1 World Championship (1998)… _________________________________________________________________

There are many more memories of these little moments like the moments when we queued for access to the bathroom at the same time, or in the late 80s and in the early 90’s when I often played with Barbie-dolls in the bath (when we still had a bath). My teenage brother who had a lively social life, was angry when he couldn’t get to the toilet himself to clean up. I could play in the bath for very long periods of time, and I remember how my brother often yelled at me from behind the door and rushed me.

Then tehere’s this one memorable moment which feels like yesterday. We listened to Astor Piazzolla’s fine radio listening with his stunning tangos played in between. I vividly remember the look of my moved father. I saw how impressed he was with the program, even though he was not as great friend of the Argentine tango as I and my mother. These are the moments I want my father to remember. Sensitive and moved. That’s when I felt the best connection with him.

Then there are those moments when my mom and I watched movies at night while dad slept (often snoring loudly) and we run to make sandwiches together with my mom during the commercial break, and those moments we watched TV entertainment programs like very legendary ”Bumtsibum” together on Saturdays (whose presenter, by the way, then became a major television personality. (You can watch the first episode of the program below but unfortunately it doesn’t have English subtitles.))

I also remember the moments when we were at the cottage, and my father often as a morning person woke me and my mother up early, that he would have company, even though we had often stayed up until morning with mom. That’s when we were annoyed with my mother. We just wanted to sleep. Now I would do anything to get back to those moments.

The first Bumtsibum tv-show on 13 September 1997. There are two teams in the program, and they take turns trying to guess what song is being fetched for based on word and picture hints. The best thing about the program is that the viewer can participate in it by guessing the songs themselves so it’s a great family program. The program was off TV for a long time, but has come back, albeit with a different presenter, and different front characters.

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Those little moments are now very valuable memories of my family. I will never get those moments back. I wish I had realized then how quickly everything disappears and appreciated those moments more but which of us could do so in time before all is already lost? Rarely does a person understand at that very moment the uniqueness of her/his life. It is difficult to detect when the pieces of life are really in place, because there are always flaws, and it is easier to pay attention to the missing pieces. In the end, though, every time in life is precious in its own way, and you will never get it back again. Every moment turns into history and evaporates like ashes into the wind before you know it.

Appreciate your life and especially the people in it!

You never know how long they will be in your life.