And you don’t say no to fika with Elin Bergman. It’s a pause in the day that’s a fixture of Swedish life, integral to my mother, who only left her home country when she married my dad. Our traditions, my upbringing, many of my parents’ philosophies and rituals are infused with her culture. Fika is ingrained in us. In Sweden, business pauses, life rests, and just briefly, you have coffee and a treat with friends or coworkers around you. It’s about resetting and connecting, refreshing before digging back into the work of your day. And in Mom’s house, shit gets dealt with over fika.