This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge invites us to share a picture of a”companion” with an explanation of the choice.  In encouraging bloggers to interpret the theme broadly, the WordPress editor writes:

You might think “companion” refers to a person with whom you share experiences, but the definition is much broader:

• A person who is frequently in the company of, associates with, or accompanies another.
• A mate or match for something.
• A handbook or guide.
• A member of the lowest rank in an order of knighthood.

(The Weekly Challenge also states: If your companion is actually a low-ranking knight, you win.)

I chose this photo of myself with four (I include my daughter, even though only her blonde curls can be seen in the lower right corner) of my favorite companions.  A dear friend since childhood and former roommate, who has accompanied me though each stage of my life.  The daughter of another dear friend and my own daughter, a new generation seeking guidance as they grow into the women that they will one day be.  Another longtime friend, a leader and mentor to hundreds if not thousands of young people over the past 30 years – who just happens to also be a knight*.

These are all companions who I have met through Skogfjorden, Concordia Language Villages‘ Norwegian immersion program. This is my fourteenth summer and my ninth on staff.  As we sing in Norwegian, “Vi er kompiser på Skogfjorden!” (We are companions at Skogfjorden). This photo captures that spirit of companionship for me.

*In 2009, Tove Irene Dahl, the dean of Skogfjorden, was named a Knight (Ridder) of the First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway for the advancement of Norwegian language and culture in the United States.

The Order of Merit is lower than the Order of St. Olav – does that count as a low-ranking knight?

If so, what do I win?