Morfar

A wise man once told me, “Man kan hvad man vil, men slid skal der til.”

In Danish, it rhymes, and there is a certain power to the rhythm of the words, but the moral is evident in English as well, “You can what you want, but hard work is needed.”

And if anybody exhibits this exact vision, it is the man who voiced these empowering words to me. 

This man is my beloved morfar, my grandfather. 

But he is not just my morfar. He is my role model, my godfather, my moral compass, and the most loyal, warm-hearted, and supportive person I know. 

He is assiduous, and you can always find him standing in the kitchen, preparing the most sumptuous dishes, walking around the garden, making sure everything is in straight lines, sitting at the table planning the day and week ahead, or sawing and hammering on a new project that will ultimately shape itself as a convenient and elegant solution. He is oftentimes working on this or that, but always with the intention of helping others because my morfar is the most considerate soul on earth. I have never, in my entire life, seen him put himself before others. He always ensures that everybody is happy, comfortable, and this is shown in a myriad of ways. 

When staying at my grandparents, he will have been planning the visit for days, making sure that the fridge and cupboards are fulfilling all our different tastes, on the stove is simmering multiple dishes, and the oven correspondingly hosting many dishes to our dissimilar likes. 

But the kitchen is not the only domain in which he masters. 

I don’t know how many hours and kilometres he and my grandmother have driven to be at our doorstep whenever help was needed, be it something as simple as spending time with us, or more significant help like building our kitchen. 

As a retired carpenter, he is extremely dexterous, and his designs are impressive, clever, and never miscalculated. 

With his background as a carpenter and later an orphanage teacher, his plans are reckoned and perfect, never missing anything, and always with the person for whom he is building in focus. His skills are impeccable, and his sketches likewise, written and drawn on napkins, notes, or, if special enough, on the piece of paper, he sacredly carries with him in his chest pocket, where only the most important information is allowed a place. 

His order is not only applicable to his plans and designs but to his every thought. He is disciplined, orderly, and only a tiny bit stubborn. He has a very specific and intentionally convenient place for everything, both materialistic and in his mind. 

His order also caters for his trustworthiness and respect for everyone. His word is a word, and he will go to indescribable lengths to keep his promise.  

Albeit respectful and earnest in his relations, he is the most humorous person I know, always finding a way to drop in an ironic comment at the most appropriate moment. He makes me laugh, and the knowing smiles he sends in my direction is a form of communication more precise than words. For his sense of situation and atmosphere, I always feel I’m in the right moment. 

My morfar has a mind more intelligent than imaginable, a personality radiating joy, appreciation, and love, and a heart of gold. 

You can what you want, if you deploy effort and thought into it, and having grown up with the flawless example my morfar is, I will forever believe these words.