Post by Jayne
We are coming to the end of our time in Denmark and, after having spent 12 days in Copenhagen, I’m reflecting on the overlapping lessons which have revealed themselves in different forms. Although we are neophytes in the adventure of being world nomads, the lessons I’ve been reminded of are ones that seem to have shown themselves to me over and over again.
Two instances that seem somewhat far apart have both been about letting go. The first came in the form of a visit to the author, Karen Blixen’s house in Rungstedlund. She may be more familiar to you with the pen name of Isak Dinesen and her most famous works are Out of Africa (1937) and Babette’s Feast, which both became Academy Award-winning films. The story of her life, one of being lived with great courage and inspiration, was encapsulated in her final TV interview where she gave the following advice to young people:
“First and foremost be courageous. One cannot live without great courage. If they were to ask me a second time I would reply: You must be able to love, and you must have a sense of humor.”
As I stood reading those words, I felt they applied directly to me and our current experience of launching into the world. I have had moments where I’ve had to garner an inner courage to take the next step even as I stood frightened on the precipice of the unknown. In the letting go of a familiar life and profession that has absorbed most of my energy over the past 20 years, I am reminded to find ease and laugh every day. And in the releasing and finding humor, I try to lead from my heart space finding love for myself, for my husband, and for all the unknown faces that cross our paths in foreign lands. Thank you Karen Blixen for your light, your words, and living out loud courageously!
The second lesson came on a day of troll-tracking. We were fortunate to have our dear friend, Peter, as our “guide” for the adventure…hiring a community-shared electric car to drive around Copenhagen and environs looking for large trolls made by the artist, Thomas Dambo. I had heard about the Dambo trolls before leaving the United States and was intrigued to check them out in Denmark. I love everything they represent as he uses recycled materials to build the trolls, enlists locals in the community in which they get erected, places them in areas where you need to venture outside to see them, and represents something playful in the form of the story for each troll created. It’s a perfect pandemic activity and I was super excited to meet them face-to-face.
We found seven of them throughout the city and slightly beyond, each with their unique expressions and personalities. We spent time in urbanscapes as well as hiking around a lake, along the coast, and across fields to find them tucked away.
The last one we visited was situated near a childcare center, park, and playground. It was the “binky/pacifier/dummy” troll, reclining with a bunch of binkies poised to be consumed, much like a bunch of grapes above an emperor’s open mouth. I learned that in Denmark there are certain trees known as “dummy/binky” trees where a parent would hang a binky from the tree when the child is ready to let go of using it. As we stood next to the binky troll, a young boy under two years old was with his father, standing in front of the bin in which the “released” binkies had gathered. 
The father was speaking gently to the child, not forcing anything to happen, but even in a foreign language you could tell the parent was coaxing a big life-moment into existence. Slowly, the child looked for the perfect place to put his soon to be retired binky, softly placed it down, and after a second, gave it a little wave good-bye. Immediately, he turned around and went running over to an adjacent pen in the playground that housed goats.
This letting go and moving on all happened with such innocence. The young boy’s body language was saying, “Okay…what’s next? Onto something of interest!”.
Again, it was a simple and sweet reminder of when we let go, we open up. When we release the familiar, we have an opportunity to look for what’s next. When we surrender something we relied upon, we have to find courage in the next step.
As you read this, I hope you to are reminded of the many ways you’ve found courage in your life and perhaps this moment is one where you need to call it up from a deeper inner space. I hope that you laugh at the images and playfulness of the troll’s energy, and that it touches something within that inspires you to reach out to what brings you great joy and ultimately reminds you to be in love with your life.
We are grateful to be reminded of courage, humor, and love. We are traveling to Sweden next, and will take the Danish lessons with us!
Until next time, I am sending all of you laughter, love, and courage!
Flowers from Karen Blixen’s garden
