The Open Door

“I have opened a door in front of you, which no one can close.” Revelation 3:8.

One of the earliest pieces of advice that I received after Tom died was: “Don’t turn down invitations”.  When one is newly bereaved, it is easy to isolate oneself and to end up stuck behind a closed door. If you feel that you cannot accept an invitation, make the reply honest and open-ended – “I am having a bad day today and don’t think that I will be good company. Can we make a date for another time?” Do not close the door in case you are not invited again.

However, the advice applies to the rest of our lives as well.  Make the most of opportunities when they present themselves and step through the open door.  It may be difficult, but if you don’t take the step, you will never know what lies on the other side.  An opportunity of a lifetime presented itself to me at the end of last year when Daughter asked me if I would like to go to Lapland.  I was not really feeling my best – I was worried about Brother, who was seriously ill in Florida, and I was suffering from a lack of energy due to iron-deficient anaemia – and could so easily have said no.  I consulted Brother who told me to go, encouraging me to do what I can while I can.  With my mind at ease, I happily said to Daughter that I would love to go.

Daughter booked a package that gave us 7 days half-board at the “Crazy Reindeer” hotel in Levi, a ski resort in northern Finland.  We went in early January, arriving at Kittila airport at mid-day. The tour company met us with a bus and transported us to our hotel, dropping off the other passengers at various locations along the way.  I was immediately awestruck by the incredibly beauty of a snow whitened landscape.  The trees were completely covered with snow and sparkled in the sunlight. Daylight was fading when we reached the hotel, so we immediately set off to explore the village centre and to find our bearings.  It was a true winter wonderland, reminiscent of Christmas cards, and filled me with childlike delight.

A cold snap arrived the day after our arrival and for the next five days, the temperature stayed between -34^oC to -41^oC.  Fortunately, we had gone well-equipped and managed to cope with the cold.  Daughter managed to meet up with a friend and went go snow-shoeing with her and, when the temperatures rose a bit, they went cycling in the snow.

We walked in the snowy forest, visited a Sami museum, viewed a sunset (about 2.30 pm), attempted cross-country skiing (Daughter – successfully; me – at least I tried!) and spent time in the village shopping. While Daughter was out with her friend, I visited the Snow Village.  The annual construction of the Snow Village begins when the temperature drops about ten degrees below zero which is usually beginning of the November. The architectural design and the themes of interior decoration vary from year to year.  This year the theme was “Celebration” and the different rooms depicted birthdays, Halloween, a German beer festival, Chinese New Year, weddings and many more. There is an ice chapel where weddings can be solemnised as well as a honeymoon suite where you can spend the night (at tremendous cost).  In the ice cinema one can watch a film showing the construction of the village from artificial snow.  Apparently, it packs firmer than real snow.  Ice blocks are cut from the frozen river and used to carve the benches and other furniture.  All the sculptures are lit up with different coloured lights and taking photos is difficult. It was definitely worth a visit.

The highlight of the visit, and our main reason for going there, was the aurora borealis.  It was a good time to look for them because the sun is at the peak of its 11-year cycle during which its magnetic strength changes.  Daughter had brought back amazing pictures from her biking trips to Iceland, Greenland and Sweden.  I oohed and aahed over them, but had to be content with the glimpse that I had had of the lights from our garden in 2003. I remember Tom’s delight back then and how he stayed up late to take his measurements. How he would have enjoyed this trip!!

Daughter posted on her Instagram account: “My mums always wanted to see the aurora and as she is getting older, it felt important to get on with it.  My dad died quite a long time ago, and she has now overtaken the age he was when he died.  There’s a certain pressure I’m sure some of you recognise of time being precious and wanting to have good memories.”  Bless her.  She seized the opportunity and gave me some unforgettable memories.

Levi sits in a hollow, surrounded by hills that provide the ski slopes.  Low cloud often settles over it and one has to get away from the cloud to see the sky.  As a result, we booked ourselves on two tours.  Both involved a nine-seater mini bus with a tour guide.  The first one simply drove out of town looking for clear skies; the second tour took us to a wooden hut next to a frozen river.  Both tours proved to be worth every penny spent – the aurora danced for us on both occasions. The lights were visible again the night that I went to the snow village. Daughter was sat up on a hill near our hotel, enjoying the lights from there. 

Sometimes, one has to go through the door and take the opportunity.  I would still be longing to see the aurora if I had refused Daughter’s invitation. I have no regrets.