ilo

"Ilo" is the Finnish word for joy - it is one of the few words in Finn that doesn't have several double vowels and about 20 letters. I like it because it is short, just like the English word. It is a little word, but it is meaningful. Many people look for joy or happiness and never find it, mostly because they expect it to find them, or for someone else to give it to them. Some people have too much to do to take time for simple things that would bring them joy. "Don't postpone joy" a bumper sticker I saw read. I think this is good advice.

The ladies in the picture above were at a Finnish music festival that I went to in Covington, Michigan a few weeks ago. The one in the purple sweatshirt is Bertha and seemed to be the spokesperson of the group. The one in the dress is Suzy. She had a difficult time walking and an even harder time hearing. The three other ladies held on to her as they made their way to a picnic table in front of me, my sister, Kseniya and Siggie. We all thought they were sisters as we listened to their chatter. "I wonder if they have ice cream?" one asked. "I would prefer a pasty" the other one said. The caretaker who brought them suggested that they wait till 5pm to eat. As it turned out, they only waited till 4:30.

As I watched them nod their heads to the music, obviously enjoying themselves, I couldn't help but go over and talk to them. I wanted to know their story.

"Are you all sisters?" I asked.

"No we are just good friends from the rest home down the street. Shirley brought us over".

Bertha asked me if they had ice cream. "How big are the pasties?" another asked. I told them about the bratwursts, which is what I had and one clapped her hands and said "That's what I'm having!".

They wanted to know where I was from and when I told them, one of the women clapped her hands and said "my uncle goes to the Catholic church there". Bertha said that she had been in several rest homes but she liked this one the best. It sounded like she had been in one almost her entire life. I wanted to know more of her story, but they were all just happy in the moment, enjoying the music, along with many other people who were dancing, eating or just sitting and listening to this music - the music of my childhood. I know my dad would have liked this.

I asked if I could take their picture and they seemed happy to let me. I will send a copy to that rest home and hope that they get it.

Later as we were leaving, Bertha came up to me and said "Which way are the pasties?" I pointed in the direction of the food and arm in arm, with Suzy in the middle, they went over to get their treats. One would be a little disappointed because there was no ice cream. Or maybe, with all the other things that had happened in her life, not having ice cream would not be a major crisis. After all, there were pasties and bratwurst.

There is ilo in encounters with people you don't know if you take the time to notice.