The other morning after dropping the little dove off at daycare, I was heading out of the subway station as I do every morning, where everyone’s head’s are hung, rushing, rushing, rushing, to and from, avoiding eye contact. Folks sitting on cardboard asking for money, everyone ignoring this growing phenomenon in Stockholm, rushing, rushing, rushing. Sometimes I just slow myself down to slow motion and look around at life speeding around me. As I exited the sliding doors and hit the cigarette smoke and bodies shuffling on the busy corner, I saw an older woman with a cane ask her friend to run ahead and try to catch the bus that was coming. Although I know that strangers don’t usually intervene here in Sweden, I was compelled to offer an arm for the woman to lean on so that she could get to the bus faster in order to make it on. Her friend had run off ahead, and without really thinking I asked the woman in Swedish if she would like an extra hand. To my surprise, her face lit up, she stood a bit taller, and looked me in the eye, her hand on my arm that was now helping her balance and walk, and said ‘thank you so much, no one does this type of thing anymore, what a gesture.’ I told her that ‘everyone needs an extra hand sometimes’ and she squeezed my arm in recognition.

There we were, two total strangers, in a strange and wonderful embrace. Locked arm in arm, I felt our humanness on such a basic and beautiful level. I got her on that bus and she thanked me profusely and began telling her friend about what happened as she got on. I looked back and waved as she disappeared into the busy bus. The sun hit me like a burst of light and I felt so full of love – the most basic and fundamental love – for a stranger and for our moment together. I cried. I cried because it’s so so so rare that we connect with others in this high tech, high speed, world anymore. I cried because it felt SO DAMN GOOD to help someone else. I think it was actually she who did me the favor in the end. She reminded me that to be fully alive is to see and feel all of the people around us. Inside we are all connected on some basic, human, level.

Perhaps it’s city living that creates this disconnect. Or it’s Swedish culture. Or both. But, no matter how long I live in the city, I’m still a mountain mamma through and through. It’s in my blood. I like saying hello to strangers (I only wish it was more welcomed here). I like fresh air, dirt, moving my body up and over vertical earth, camping (dang! I miss this the most), fireside sing alongs, pine cones, wildlife, and cairns showing me the way. How do I find my way in the city? I’m still figuring that out, but I know that moments like the one I had with this woman are helping me get where I need to go.

My roads may not be vertical here, but the concrete jungle can wear on you all the same, so having a healthy snack on hand is crucial (especially with the little dove). Right now we are refueling with these ah-mazing 5 ingredient granola bars from Minimalist Baker that I’ve altered just a bit by adding more peanut butter and toasting the nuts along with the oats. These are simple, wholesome, nutritious, and so yummy. They sort of have that basic goodness I was talking about earlier. Maybe because they are naturally sweet…. maybe we are too?

5 Ingredient Granola Bars:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed soft dates
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cupe raw almonds
• Heaping 1/4 cup smooth, all natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey

My add ins:

• All natural, unsweetened shredded coconut
• Goji berries

Directions:

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain and form a “dough” like consistency.
2. Toast your oats, almonds, and coconut in a 350 degree oven for 15-ish minutes or until slightly golden brown, stirring every few minutes.
3. Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl – set aside.
4. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix until everything is incorporated.
5. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap so they lift out easily.
6. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with plastic wrap, and let set in fridge 15-20 minutes to harden.
7. Remove bars from pan and chop into even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or store in the freezer longer. Enjoy!