Cupcakes & Tea with Elizabeth

Tag: diary

  • Reflections from Sweden: My Grandma’s (Mormor) Words and the Vasa Ship

    Reflections from Sweden: My Grandma’s (Mormor) Words and the Vasa Ship

    While in Sweden, I came across one of my grandma’s old diary entries from her own trip decades ago. On a page titled “Comparisons,” she wrote:

    “Comparison:
    In those days, people feared things
    like lion’s faces. We fear things in
    the shape of mushroom clouds — nuclear bombs.”
    ~ June 1986

    She was writing about the Vasa Ship, the 17th-century Swedish warship that famously sank on its maiden voyage and was later recovered and preserved. The “lion’s face” she mentions refers to the carved lion figurehead at the front of the ship — a symbol of courage and power that’s been part of Swedish culture since medieval times.

    Reading her words while visiting the Vasa Museum myself in the summer of 2017 was surreal. It felt like we were sharing a moment across time — her thoughts from 1986 intertwining with my own experiences.

    I remember watching teams of researchers working carefully on the ship, preserving it for future generations. The recreated colors of the Vasa were so vivid and striking — a reminder that history can breathe again when we take the time to care for it.

    Her reflection about fear — how it changes shape across generations — stuck with me. The world she knew was different, yet her words still ring true.

    Maybe that’s the beauty of shared experiences: even when years and oceans separate us, our thoughts and emotions still find a way to connect.

    vasa2

    VASA
    A picture of the lion I took at the Vasa Museum!

  • Following My Grandma’s Footsteps in Sweden: Reflections on Equality, Culture & Connection

    Following My Grandma’s Footsteps in Sweden: Reflections on Equality, Culture & Connection

    While reading through my grandmother’s travel diary from her time in Sweden, I came across an entry that stopped me in my tracks:

    “Swedes are allowed to go anywhere, eat in the grass at the palace lawn, see parks as they wish. The new law is that the Princess who is older than her brother will be queen. We Swedes are implementing equal rights for women!”
    ~ Vivian Olson, June 17th

    I found myself smiling — not just because of her words, but because I had nearly the same thoughts during my own visit to Sweden decades later.

    There’s something truly special about how open and accessible life feels there. I remember watching newlyweds taking photos outside a royal palace, families picnicking on the palace lawn, and children playing with their dogs in the gardens. In so many other parts of the world, these spaces are roped off or reserved for the elite. But in Sweden, the royal grounds feel like they belong to everyone. That sense of shared belonging left such an impression on me.

    Just as my grandma observed, Sweden continues to lead with progressive values — especially when it comes to gender equality. Women have a strong voice in government, and citizens tend to vote based on values and policies rather than gender. It’s a refreshing contrast to what I often see in the U.S., where the focus can still be on who is breaking barriers instead of why they’re leading.

    Yet, even in Sweden, there’s acknowledgment that progress is ongoing. Equality is not a finish line but a continual effort — a mindset I think both our nations are still navigating.

    I love seeing how my grandmother’s reflections and mine intertwine — two generations apart, yet observing the same beauty in everyday freedoms and the same hope for equality. Her words remind me how much our perspectives are shaped by those who came before us, and how their journeys continue to guide our own.

    Side Note: Some Swedes still feel their country has work to do in reaching full equality — which makes me wonder: how far behind is the U.S.? Are we striving toward an ideal that even the most progressive nations are still perfecting?

  • After All Tomorrow Is Another Day – Losing a Grandparent

    After All Tomorrow Is Another Day – Losing a Grandparent

    “We’re at the age where we’re starting to lose people.”

    That’s what my friend said as we sat across from each other at a local coffee shop — two friends who hadn’t seen each other in months but picked up like no time had passed.

    During the conversation, we spoke about loved ones who had left us this year. I explained how I had seen a loved one’s body minutes after their soul had left. I almost couldn’t believe it was the same person. There was nothing behind their eyes. I was taken back by the blank stare, and the body reminded me of wax. I will never forget this image, and sometimes I wish I could. However, this image also seems to give me peace. I believe his soul had left his body and moved on to a better place.

    I’m not sure what I believe in, but I know that there is a God. Sometimes I wonder if those who have so little confidence in God are the ones who have never seen a body without a soul.