Farfar

Farfar means “grandfather,” or more specifically “father’s father,” in Swedish. This post is dedicated to my soft-spoken, tender-hearted grandfather who passed away this morning. He was the kind of grandpa who would slip us grandkids a piece of candy or a quarter with a wink when we were little, and would always well up during goodbyes. Even though he didn’t talk much about his Swedish roots, his English had a Swedish lilt to it and on occasion, if we were lucky, he’d say grace before meals in Swedish. It was this quiet sense of heritage that drew me to the book above—a beautifully worn vintage reference about the provinces of Sweden—the page in the center of the photo features Skåne, where both my grandparents’ families emigrated from. It reminds me of my sweet Grandpa and makes me happy.