February 27, 2019
This blog is born with a deep sense of purpose to chronicle a story about families who know their roots because it was important to my mother. It was important that her six children and nine grandchildren know where they came from; to know their roots. When I was young, she used to tell me that even though there is a great distance between Minnesota and Finland, “the ties that bind us are strong.” My mom wasn’t alone in her belief that her children should know their Finnish family. She had an equally determined relative in Finland – who you will come to know as my “Mummu Kulta” – she also wanted to keep our ties strong.
Now, I am compelled to keep it going and keep it growing. I too want to do my part to assure that we stay connected while our families continue to grow and the generations are further distanced from a young boy (my grandfather) who immigrated from middle Finland to America. So, it is here that I will document the stories and traditions that can’t be forgotten and need to be shared.
We begin with sisu and saunas. Sisu and the sauna were part of my earliest memories. One doesn’t really have anything to do with the other except that sisu and the sauna are known institutions of the Finnish culture, values and beliefs. You will discover through our stories the meaning of sisu that I think flows through the veins of the Finnish people. I was told as a young girl and throughout my life during difficult times that it exists deep within me. Whenever I needed to find some courage or take a risk or persevere to accomplish a goal, tapping into my inner strength – sisu – reliably carried me through. Many words define sisu; perseverance, stamina, tenacity, courage, inner strength, stick-to-it-iveness, resolve, determination. One word defines the sense you feel when you have accomplished a goal, channeling your inner sisu in the face of adversity – pride. Pride, another word you will associate with this family and our Finnish ties.
Like sisu, the sauna is deeply ingrained in the Finnish culture. It is known by many Americans as a “saw-na” a place to sit in a hot, humid room and sweat. To those who know the sauna (pronounced “sow-na”), they understand it as a sauna bath, a place to filter out impurities, improve blood flow and a place for relaxation. It is a way of life and provides physical and mental renewal. It connects family and friends; often friends are invited over for sauna, with food and drinks to follow. It is such a big part of the way of life that often when immigrants were settling in America, the sauna was the first structure built even before the home was finished. The sauna often featured a dressing room which could also be used for a place to rest or sleep, the shower room and the sauna room. Like our Finnish ancestors, we have brought a Finnish barrel sauna to the property where my grandfather settled. It is the first of many memories to be made and shared. It will hopefully draw my family, nieces and nephews to enjoy going to sauna at the place where my grandfather settled and raised his family.
I hope you join me on this journey to learn more about our heritage, how we discovered and kept in contact with each other despite the distance and without social media or DNA heritage discovery kits. It’s a great story!
So tell me, what is your favorite sauna memory or sisu moment?