SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

Its walls have yellowed, the wood charred by time, but if you had been able to listen, you would have heard the whispers of three women - Zinka, Ana and Milena - in the silence.

They were three sisters, brought up at a time when it was known that happiness is not measured by how much you have, but by how you live. Life has taught them that you don't need much to have enough. And it's the little things that count: a hot meal, clean laundry, a tidy garden and peace in your heart.

The oldest, Zinka, was the one who always kept the balance. She didn't say much, but when she did, it was with a purpose. Moderation was her way of life - in work, in words and in expectations. She never grumbled, never (over)boasted and never took more than she needed. "If you don't you're blowingyou never run out," she said as she thoughtfully cut bread in the porch of the farmhouse - each piece the same thickness.

Ana, the middle sister, was softer, but she functioned according to the same deep-rooted pattern of values. She lived calmly, by the rules, but with a feeling for people. She never went to bed without calling if she knew someone was going through something (bad). She helped in a quiet and modest way, almost imperceptibly. Moderation was woven into her life - in her work, in her love, in her sadness. "If you work with your head and your heart, you don't have to speak out loud," she often said.

The youngest, Milena, had more sparkle and life in her, but she also knew how to keep her temper. She did not want wealth, travel or special recognition. "I have everything," she said. "I have a roof over my head, I have peace, I have people who call me. What else do I need?"

Each of them created their own home, their own path, but the bond between them remained. They no longer saw each other every day, but they were always close - in deeds, in thoughts. When one of them fell ill, the other two came to her immediately; with a warm meal, clean sheets or just their presence. They helped each other the way they lived - moderately, without drama, without debt and with a lot of love for each other.

There was neither rivalry nor envy between them. Each of them was able to accept that life has its own order: good days, difficult days and days when nothing happens. "That's happiness too," Anna said one day, as they drank coffee together on the doorstep of the farmhouse, "to have peace of mind, to have nothing missing and to know that you have done your best." Zinka smiled: "Yes, it's just that people today no longer understand that it is enough to have enough and more."

Over the years, their simplicity has become even more prominent. All three were thrifty, but not stingy. They shared what they had - a basket of apples, a jar of pickled vegetables or simply time. If someone came by, they never went home without at least a glass of compote and two sentences of warm words.

When Zinka fell ill, Ana and Milena continued to be moderate - even in their grief. Not in despair, but in the quiet understanding that everything has its time; a shelf life, so to speak. They helped her as much as they could, and when she was gone, they spoke not of injustice, but of gratitude that they had each other. For earthly time is limited for all of us mortals, and sometimes it seems that this is the only right in this world.

"You know," Anna said after the funeral, "we never wanted much. Just that we knew how to stick together when we had to." Milena nodded. "And that we never thought the world owed us anything."

Today, Ana and Milena are still alive. Each in their own home, but still working in the same spirit; calm and respectful of each day. They call each other almost every evening.

"How are you today?"
"Good. You know - nothing new, but I'm still having a good time."

And so life goes on - according to the standards they set in their youth. No noise, no quarrels, no extravagance. Only in moderation - like a river that flows slowly but never runs dry.

The farmhouse, run by my sister Milena and now a family intergenerational ranch, still has daffodils in bloom. Every time I pass by, I am greeted with homemade biscuits and a cup of fragrant mint tea. And in this time when all people are in a hurry and quickly forget what it means to have enough, I quickly remember that modesty and moderation are not scarcity, but (peace of mind), and that it is this that gives meaning to every day and dignity to life.

Zala Krupljan, 1. 9. 2025