Introduction
Today’s post was supposed to be about ADHD. But life had other plans. A morning swim with Alfred, a fishing trip, pickled cucumbers that brought back memories, and a political meeting about healthcare became the thread running through the day instead. Maybe that’s how life works – what we plan sometimes has to step aside for what actually happens.
🇸🇪 Läs på svenska: När livet kommer emellan strukturen
Today I was supposed to write something about ADHD and similar topics.
I have created a structure for this blog. Whether it was to make things easier for myself or to give readers some kind of framework, I honestly can’t remember right now.
But this is my blog, and I am me.
And sometimes, as with everything related to ADHD, structure just isn’t enough. Then I do what I do anyway.
So today I’m skipping the structure and writing about life instead.
A Morning Swim with Alfred
Yesterday, Alfred and I went to the lake to swim with my swimming sisters.
It was cold. The water has become cooler again.
But we swam, and Alfred happily swam along.
On the way home he said:
“When I grow up, I’m going to do exactly what you do and go to the lake for a swim every day.”
Then he added:
“Now I’m really awake.”
And I think he captured exactly what these morning swims are all about.
It’s not just about the swimming.
It’s about the feeling afterwards.
About waking up to life.
We didn’t swim as far as I usually do, but that didn’t matter. The important thing was that he got to come along. He has been fascinated for a long time by the fact that I go to the lake almost every morning.
Now he got to be part of it.
He got to see a piece of his grandmother’s everyday life that he hadn’t experienced before.
Fishing, Memories and Togetherness
When we got home, Alfred had breakfast number two.
Then we went fishing.
The first lake we planned to visit had a fishing ban, and it was difficult to find good places to stand.
So we drove to another lake instead.
There, both Alfred and our foster boy stood casting their fishing rods.
I told Alfred that when his mother was little, this was the lake where we always used to swim.
Things like that become bridges between generations.
Suddenly there is a story that stretches beyond the day itself.
The day was filled with fishing, coffee, snacks and togetherness.
Then we went home, cooked dinner and played Uno in between.
The Taste of Memories
When Malou and Sebbe came to pick Alfred up after work, there was food waiting for them too.
I had more cucumbers from the greenhouse than we could eat, so I quickly pickled some to serve with the meatballs.
When Malou tasted them, she said:
“Oh Mum, my grandmother used to make cucumbers just like these.”
Something happened inside me.
A small thought.
A small feeling.
And perhaps that is what life really is.
A taste.
A scent.
A meal.
Something small that suddenly opens a door to someone who is no longer standing in the room.
Relationships often live on that way.
In memories, tastes, scents and ordinary little details.
Politics Is Also About People
Later in the evening I attended a party meeting.
We had a meeting with the Social Democrats, and I heard something I found interesting.
The Västra Götaland Region has managed to reduce healthcare waiting times while also creating better conditions for healthcare workers to cope with their jobs.
It may not be perfect.
There is certainly more work to be done.
But it shows that change is possible.
When national politicians talk about shorter waiting lists, the results are sometimes mentioned, but not always the people behind the work.
For me, it was a reminder of how important our shared healthcare system is.
Regardless of political views, it needs care, development and support so that it works for those who depend on it.
Ultimately, it is about people.
Just like so many other things in life.
Between Structure and Life
So no.
Today did not become a post about ADHD.
Or perhaps it did after all.
Because maybe ADHD is exactly this – starting out writing about one thing and ending up somewhere completely different.
Following a thought.
A swim.
A fishing trip.
A slice of cucumber.
A political meeting.
And discovering that somehow it all connects.
Life rarely follows a perfect structure.
And perhaps that is exactly what makes it so interesting to live.
Reflection – A Morning Swim with Alfred
When I look back on the day, it is not the fish I remember, because we didn’t catch any. Nor is it the political discussion that stays with me the most.
It is Alfred’s words on the drive home from the lake.
“Now I’m really awake.”
It is remarkable how children sometimes find the heart of something faster than adults do.
Perhaps that is what I am searching for every morning when I go to the lake. To truly wake up. To feel the water against my skin, hear the birds and remind myself that I am alive.
The same thing happened when Malou tasted the cucumber and remembered her grandmother. A simple everyday thing suddenly became something much bigger. A memory. A relationship. A person who still exists through the taste of a cucumber.
Maybe that is how life builds bridges between people. Not through grand speeches or remarkable events, but through small things that return year after year.
Between the Lines – My Voice
Between the lines I read a story about inheritance.
Not inheritance in money or possessions.
But inheritance in habits, memories and experiences.
Alfred follows me to the lake and experiences something that has become a natural part of my life.
Malou recognises the taste of her grandmother’s cucumbers.
I sit at a political meeting and think about the kind of society we leave behind for the next generation.
At the meeting I heard about how healthcare waiting times have been reduced in the Västra Götaland Region and how working conditions have improved in parts of the healthcare system. It reminded me that when national politicians talk about successful healthcare reforms, people sometimes forget who actually governs the region.
In Västra Götaland, the Social Democrats together with the Left Party and the Green Party carry political responsibility for healthcare. Regardless of political preference, the results show something important: publicly funded healthcare can still improve and function well when people choose to prioritise it.
Perhaps the entire post is really about the same thing.
Care.
Care for children.
Care for relationships.
Care for memories.
Care for the society we share.
Questions for You
🌿 Is there a taste or scent that instantly brings you back to someone you miss?
🌿 What everyday habit would you like to pass on to the next generation?
🌿 When do you feel truly awake?
🌿 What do you think is most important for us to take care of together in our society?
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Yesterday has already settled into history. Tomorrow waits somewhere ahead. But right now – this is where life happens.
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