Joice strengthens family ties
In Sweden there are a few families that are not like other Swedish families. They actively socialize between generations and meet each Sunday to enjoy a good dinner together. They view family as their closest friends with whom success, joy and setbacks are shared and one receives daily support. Their idea of family can be compared to that of the Southern Europeans.
I have been “adopted” into such a unique family through my husband, even if our family happens to be located in the not so exotic city of Gothenburg.
Our three children have grown up with their father’s maternal grandparents, who have filled in when we, at times, were not able to piece together the puzzle of life consisting of overtime at work, drop offs and pick ups from daycare, after school activities etc.
Lately, my husband’s maternal grandparents have become less mobile due to their age, which unfortunately means less of the wonderful occasions when the great grandchildren have the opportunity to brighten up their weekdays.
With our recent access to Joice we have found a way to, via the TV, send our joyous children directly into my husband’s maternal grandparents’ living room. This has become a fabulous complement to our Sunday dinners and we feel less conscious about not being able to be with them physically on a daily basis.
My husband’s maternal grandparents have an additional five grandchildren whereof two live in Stockholm and one in London. The increased proximity via the TV creates a real feeling of closeness for those who are far away from relatives.
Sunday dinners will remain the gathering point of the family, but Joice has given the entire family new chances to keep in contact with each other.
Nathalie Ylitalo
