My sister
has eight children, managing to juggle her very healthy share of family life
with her professional one as a doctor. Her youngest is now three, a little girl
named Elfur Fríða. She walks around with a little notebook and a pencil, asking
everyone she meets: „So, what can I get you?“ My sister and her family eat out a
lot.
Children
are funny. The other day my grandson asked me how one said Zombie in
moonlandish. Something I had not given much recon to until then. I told him
Zombie was one of these words like Taxi that is the same in every language. On
the moon a Zombie is a Zombie. In the US a Zombie is a Zombie. In Iceland a Zombie is a Zombie, but a Taxi is actually a leigubíll.
Not only is
a child’s thought process less bound by reason, they are also more open and
honest about everything. Life has yet to chisel them into whatever passes for
the standard in their homeland. Their dreams and aspirations are limitless and have
yet to be weighed down by what is possible or practicable. If they want to be
an astronaut they will say so shamelessly. Or a waitress like my little cousin.
Later on when human negativity has pounded a lattice of fine cracks into their positive
outlook, they will reply with what they think they can live up to. Or simply
say: “I don’t know.”
My sister
is moving away this summer which is probably why I am being a bit depressive. She has gotten a job in a brand new hospital in the States where her days will focuses a
lot more on her speciality within the field of medicine than is the case here – I must note that her speciality is within a field I
cannot spell, not even close enough for the spell checker to give me suggestions.
So I cannot go into any detail here.
So my sister will go away like a lot of other doctors here that are tired of the
endless cut backs that relate to the quality of services they are able to
provide. It is not easy when a country’s finances go belly up.
On my desk
at work the other day was an envelope delivered to me by the daughter of my 7th
grade teacher, who has now passed away. This being Iceland I am related to these
women and when the daughter was going through her mother’s papers she took
aside certain things with my name on it. These were in the envelope. Amongst
test papers (I was a very contentious student) and homework there was a report
I had done on my family which was really strange to read. For one thing I do
not recognize my own handwriting which has apparently changed a lot through the
years. Also, I do not have the slightest recollection of ever having written what
I surely did. But it was good to see that I felt happy and loved my family
every bit as much as I still do today. It ends with a sentence something akin
to: Even though my family is not the most perfect family in the world I would
not swap places for anything. Awww.
Despite this being very cheesy, I deserve credit for leaving out: “for all the money in the world”. Maybe it was because at 12 I realized how awful repetitions within a sentence can be. Or maybe I no more wanted to be the owner of all the money in the world at that time than I do now. Who in their right mind would want all the money in the world? Aside from a few crazed dictators I cannot imagine there are many other names on that list.
But seeing that spring
is here there is no reason to wallow in melancholy or go down the road regarding
crazed dictators where I can see my mind is heading. That must wait.
And
regarding my little cousin. I do not think she will become a waitress. At least
not a very good one. She never brings you your order.
Yrsa -
Wednesday
Posts
Wonderful, and I'm sorry about your sister leaving. It sounds like you have a very good family, and always did.
ReplyDeleteFirst thing, your sister is a doctor and has eight children! That sounds nearly impossible and quite a feat.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how anyone could manage that in the States, without a lot of help.
I'm glad your sister got a job here, however, things are not going well as far as job security, even for doctors. Hope her job is secure. The global economic crisis is hitting hard over here.
States are cutting health care budgets right and left. Hospitals are closing, many from bankruptcies, as one did a few years ago not far from my house, leaving a huge neighborhood without a place to get emergency health care.
And the federal medical care programs are in great danger of being downsized and contracted. It's a very difficult period and bound to get worse.
First thing, your sister is a doctor and has eight children! That sounds nearly impossible and quite a feat.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how anyone could manage that in the States, without a lot of help.
I'm glad your sister got a job here, however, things are not going well as far as job security, even for doctors. Hope her job is secure. The global economic crisis is hitting hard over here.
States are cutting health care budgets right and left. Hospitals are closing, many from bankruptcies, as one did a few years ago not far from my house, leaving a huge neighborhood without a place to get emergency health care.
And the federal medical care programs are in great danger of being downsized and contracted. It's a very difficult period and bound to get worse.
Don't worry about your cousin (niece, to us U.S. types). I know the perfect place for her, where never bringing an order is one of their specialties. Its nickname over here to expat Beckett fans is the "Godot Cafe." To the rest of the world it's just "Godawful."
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy - I think this hospital is one of the good ones, i.e. not likely to bo bust. It is brand new, not even open until this fall and is a gift to the USA from the Dupont family. It is the first specialized children's hospital to be build greenfield in the US in amny decades. I hope she is not leaving the ashes for the fire (an Icelandic saying that probably makes no sense in translation).
ReplyDeleteJeff - if you happen to be served by my niece in Greece (nice rhyme there) - stick to a simple order. Water. No gas.
A waitress that cute is bound to get great tips.
ReplyDeleteThe saying makes perfect sense. We say "from the frying pan into the fire."
Eight children? Blimey. Reminds me of the woman who went on Groucho Marx's game show. She had ten children. Groucho raised an eyebrow.
ReplyDelete'I love my husband, Mr Marx,' she explained.
Groucho: 'Well, I love my cigar but I take it out of my mouth every now and then.'
ég myndi sko gefa henni Elfi Fríðu fullt af tipsi.. hún var á leikskóla hjá mér og þó að það meigi ekki gera upp á milli þá var hún svo mikið uppáhald.. sakna hennar enþá :)
ReplyDeletekv
Guðrún
Hæ Guðrún - ég held að þetta sé fyrsta íslenska kommentið á þessari síðu frá því að hún fór á stað fyrir um þremur árum. En ég er sammála þér varðandi Elfi Fríðu - hún er frábær.
ReplyDeletebestu kveðjur
Yrsa
amazing that your sister managed to have a big family, this is a blessing! children are really angels of god, how wonderful it would be if all of us get back to have the childish innocence and sincerity, the world would be so much better, that we can recover a little of our inner kids. god bless you and your family!
ReplyDelete