Addition of more love in the south of France

Pamela Hanné - "Wranglers and Wild spririts. Giddy up!"

Some years pass without leaving a mark.

This wasn’t one of them.

It´s been brutal, but also beautiful.

Exactly the way life can be, when it doesn’t hold back.

Summer in France? Hot! It’s been boiling over. With tomatoes cracking on their branches and fans that make a lot of noise but do absolutely nothing.Cross-breezes are my new religion. And I drink water like it’s a full-time job. But in the middle of all the heat, the sweat and  madness...he arrived.

Bernard.

My first grandchild.

And suddenly, everything shifted.

The world took a deep breath.

Time and space bent ever so slightly.

The distance between France and Sweden is no longer measured in miles or flight hours, but in longing.

For tiny hands and soft, round cheeks. For those little fingers, a warm breath against my neck. That impossibly soft baby scent.

You think you’re prepared.

You’re not. 

So here I sit, under the pergola in the shade of the grapes, thinking about that first smile, the one that turned my heart inside out.

Our family has already grown, thanks to my "bonus children". My wise, strong, funny daughters-in-law, who’ve brought humour, warmth, and new traditions. It’s like they tore down some walls in the family house and replaced them with new big, wide windows.

And now, a grandchild.

Suddenly, the family puzzle went 3D.

So yes, I went back to Sweden this summer.

I mean, grandbaby cuddles and West Coast salt in my hair? How could I not?

It was a mix of joy, strawberries, paintbrushes, coffee on the porch, evening barbecues and just the right amount of chaos. Until the tick made its entrance. Like an uninvited guest in the middle of a perfect scene.

And it didn’t come alone. It brought Lyme disease. And maybe even TBE, just for kicks.

Thank heavens for the TBE vaccine. But still. What a little devil.

So yes, I came back to France with more than sand in my suitcase. Antibiotics. And a body on partial strike. But also, of course, memories of that tiny miracle with the wide eyes. And a family that has grown. Not just in numbers, but in love. In strength.

Now I’m back here again, in the shade that finally offers some mercy and I know one thing for sure;

This summer, despite the ticks, the meds and the almost unbearable heat, was something truly special.

The summer when our sons and daughters-in-law enriched the tapestry of our French life, following the tradition that has gently taken root.

The summer life came close.

The summer love grew bigger

The summer I became a grandmother.

And no, the tick or the heat doesn’t get the spotlight.

This summer will always be called;

Bernard’s First Summer.