LAGOM REVISITED

Though they didn't have the word 'lagom,' the Shakers practiced the concept every day.
This is a picture I took at the Hancock Shaker Village, in Hancock, Massachusetts.

I had a small chuckle this morning when I read an article from this morning’s BBC News Headlines email – “The Swedish Word Poached by the World.”  The BBC referenced articles from Vogue and ELLE, saying this new word, 'lagom,' will replace the word Swedish word ‘hygge.’  According to my handy-dandy Engelsk-Norsk dictionary, and, having traveled a bit in Norway, I do have such a dictionary right on my desk, ‘hygge’ is the same in Norwegian, and it means ‘comfort, coziness.’

But ‘lagom’ is in a class by itself. The word expresses, in two syllables, the idea of “just enough.”  Though the Norwegians have no word for it, they certainly practice the concept, as do all Scandinavians. We can learn a lot from them.

So why the chuckle? Because back in April of 2012, I’d done a blog about it. The word had caused a bit of a stir in those just discovering it. It certainly spoke to me. Five year later, though I've really cut down on what I purchase, I’m still getting rid of stuff. One of these fine days, lagom will be me. (I hope!)