Norway

My Norwegian Cousin’s Advice

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
Viking Leif Erikson scans the Seattle waterfront in search of an approaching storm

​Whether the weather is cold or it’s warm,
whether there’s sunshine or threats of a storm,
whether dark clouds or blue skies are the norm,
weather cannot be our god.

Whether you’re living with hope or with fear,
whether your vision is blurry or clear,
whether your kids prompt a smile or a tear,
you cannot do life on your own.

Whether your passion is work or it’s play,
whether the future seems sunny or gray,
whether the world is all wrong or okay,
you cannot but choose how you’ll live.

*This poem is based on a poem my Norwegian cousin Bjarne Birkeland shared with me in Norway in 2001.

“Whether the weather is cold or whether the weather is hot
we’ll weather the weather whatever the weather whether we like it or not.”

I’m thinking of my Norwegian family today. After all, today is May 17th (Syttende Mai) Norwegian Constitution Day.

Hipp, hipp, hurra!

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
A statue of Leif Erikson graces Shilshole Bay in Seattle

A statue in our city stands
in honor of the past.
It seems to stand a bit more tall today.
This son of Erik (Leif by name)
recalls my heritage
as well as those whose kin came from Norway.

The Viking spirit prompted those
to seek a better life.
Courageously (with strength) they persevered.
Though homesick, they embraced their dreams
of making a new start.
These Nordic pilgrims challenged what they feared.

Hipp, hipp, hurra!

On this Syttende Mai (17th of May) I’m honoring the legacy of my grandfather (Gunder Birkeland) and his brothers who left Norway for America, settling in the Seattle area beginning in 1902.