This is a sweet little book that came out in 2018, written by a Canadian who now resides in Finland. She writes about the Finnish concept of sisu, which is essentially a form of resilience and perseverance. As I am fairly obsessed with all things Nordic, I loved learning about her insights on Finnish culture, especially as related to my main parenting interests: outdoor adventures, food & body image, and sustainability.
As the author learns more about Finnish culture, she makes observations about their no-nonsense, relatively simple approaches to wellbeing, including spending ample time outdoors, eating what is local and in-season, and regular visits to the sauna.
She touches on the subject of Nordic body image, and I find her insights really interesting:
“The Scandinavians seem to have far fewer hang-ups about their bodies. Nordic men and women may not be entirely happy with their figures, but they don’t seem to be waging a war on their bodies like many North Americans and Brits I’ve met who try to follow the latest extreme diets and exercise programs. Perhaps Finns feel more at ease with their image because they’ve grown up in a sauna culture…What strikes me is that the sauna is also a great equalizer. If you grow up with the knowledge that bodies come in all shapes and sizes. That’s normal, not the stylized images of ‘perfect’ bodies as seen on social media or in glossy magazines.”
She also talks about how the Finns tend to have much less consumeristic tendencies than most North Americans. Kids are accustomed to second-hand clothes and toys, often make their own presents for Christmas, and their birthday parties are also very simple. My favorite example of this, and one that made me laugh out loud, was a cardboard box-themed birthday party. All you do is provide cardboard boxes and markers and let the kids go to town. That’s it. And typically it’s a huge hit!
I would recommend this quick, fun read to anyone interested in gaining more insight into the internationally-recognized wellbeing of the Finns.
Can I move to Finland, now?
Pick up your copy at your local library, favorite bookstore, or of course, amazon.