I've tried to express what I want with my son many times, and I keep getting a different interpretation of what I said back at me, from many people. Can't quite figure out why, and this is just an attempt to clarify it, to myself as well as to anyone who cares reading.

In this entry, the topic is specifically about having him travelling to Sweden at regular intervals.

As some know, my son is a young boy of two nationalities. Born in Sweden from a US mother and a Swedish-French father, and has lived in Sweden for the first three and a half years (he's four and a half at the time I write this) and is now living in the states. It should obvious to anyone that his identity contains heritage from both countries.

A few times now, I've expressed that it's important that he visits Sweden for his own sake, to maintain that part of his identity. Quite a few times now, this has been expressed by others as my wish to see him, and I can't remember having heard much else. Expressed that way, it sounds quite a lot more selfish than it really is. That would be something I'd want from my son.

Don't get me wrong, I am immensily pleased to have him here, there's no question about that it. I find it enormously pleasing to have him in my home, playing with toys (Legos and a Brio train set being his favorites) he left behind when he moved to the states, or taking him places here. However, there's a bigger picture, and it's vivid in my mind at all times.

Being a person of two nationalities is a treasure, there's no doubt in my mind about that. It provides a wider perspective and range of opportunities, the latter from having two languages at the very least.

Because both nationalities are part of my son, part of his identity, I very strongly believe that both should be nurtured, and that the only way to have that is for him to be regularly immersed in both cultures, seeing each of his parents in their home turf, living with them, seeing his grand parents on both sides and even sleeping over with them (or at least in their home), seeing and experiencing each country itself, and getting in touch with the languages. I consider anything else as no less than robbery.

That is something I want for my son. I think that's quite different than wanting something from him.

Some of these things have not been taken care of well enough. It's time to do so. It's time I do so.