We Love Asa, Sweden

There have been times in my life when I have been so blessed, coincidentally, that there is no logical explanation. It is like having a fairy Godmother on your side who is charmed.

Twenty-two years ago, one of my favorite charmed stories began when I was a single mother to my youngest son, then eight years old. We lived in a small mountain town called BigBear Lake, in California. I was a freelance designer, wallpaper installer, and seamstress. 

Because I freelanced, I was able to bring my son to most job sites, eliminating the need for childcare, and thus allowing me to work, while overseeing his online schoolwork. This worked for many years until I accepted a huge commercial job. The project would last for at least a year and was too good to pass up. “The Villages” consisted of large “ownership share” condominiums, and I worked on the design, the wallpaper, and the drapes.

Since I would be spending many hours on-site, and would not be able to bring my son, a dilemma was created. What should I do? Public school was not an option and I really did not want just a “babysitter”.

I considered an au pair or live-in nanny might be the ideal solution, given my large home and numerous empty rooms. In an ideal scenario, this person would become a friend and mentor to my son while I was on site.

I joined several au pair websites and contacted many young gals from Europe. There were many qualified girls, but for one reason or another, I was unable to commit. It was about one week before I was supposed to begin the job when I received a phone call from a friend. This friend had been much more concerned about my situation than me, and I kept telling her that “things would work out the way they were supposed to”.

Our conversation went something like this: she said, “I hate you!” I said, “Why? What did I do?”

She said, “There is a lady in my shop who knows of two girls, from Sweden,  who hope to find a nanny position in Big Bear. I told her about you. Do you want their number?” 

I said, “Awesome! Of course.” She said, “I just don’t understand how life always works out like this for you!”

I laughed, and said, “Because I have faith!” and agreed to call the girls. I was slightly concerned that there were two of them because I didn’t want them spending more time with each other and less with my son, but I called them anyway.

It was Thanksgiving day when we first met. I fell immediately in love with these girls. They were the same ages as my older children; one month older than each of them. I instantly knew that they were the perfect fit; just what I had been looking for; the answer to my prayer. 

Things continued to fall quickly into place. In addition to starting a new, big job, I was also moving into a new house. The entire house needed remodeling, and the only room that was finished, down to the bedding and drapes, was one of the guest rooms, the one the girls moved into, two days later. I have no idea what inspired me to begin remodeling the guest room before my room, or my son’s; fate, I guess. 

Not only did these girls step in to care for my son when I was away, but they also assisted me with the remodel. Together, we laid flooring, painted, installed tongue and groove planks, and hung wallpaper.

The years that the girls lived with us were some of the best years of my life; we had so much fun! They became my “adopted” daughters, and we have remained family. We shared so many adventures and laughs and loved learning about each other’s cultures: the food, the traditions, and the language. My life is so much richer because of these girls.

We have remained close throughout the years, visiting here and there when the opportunity arose. Lisa met and married an American and moved back to Sweden, Hannah married an American and remained in the States. This summer, Hannah was planning on spending the summer in Sweden, which was the motivation for this trip with my daughter. My daughter and the girls are also close, so close that they were at the birth of my first grandson! 

I promised them many years ago that someday I would come to Sweden for a visit. That “someday” is now.

Spending this time with the girls, and their families, and meeting their parents has been a dream come true. So much catching up to do, sharing old memories, and making new ones is priceless! And Asa is amazing! We were greeted with a beautiful rainbow!

So when an opportunity presents itself, and you ask yourself whether or not you will regret not taking advantage of it, then book the trip, go to the movies, visit a friend, swim in the pond, build the snowman, or watch the sunset.

I was indecisive for a moment and knew that if we did not take this trip, I would, for the rest of my life say, “We should’ve gone to Sweden, to see the girls.”

Seize the day, seize the moment, and live your life; none of us know when it will end.

Night, y’all!

PS: it will be a busy four days, I will update more when we leave!

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