“All for Norway” has taken on a deeper meaning for me. It is not only about love for the country.

For Loveleen Rihel Brenna, “All for Norway” now means more than love of country. It means duty, loyalty and the question of what each person is willing to do for Norway.

Brenna was born in India and came to Norway at the age of five in 1973. She describes India as her “Janam Bhoomi,” or place of birth, and Norway as her “Karma Bhoomi,” the place where she serves. Her first loyalty, she says, is to Norway. Her Indian origins come second.

She recalls hearing King Harald speak at Dronningparken in 2016. His words, “Norway is, above all, people,” and “Norway is you. Norway is us,” moved her. But she says she heard more than an inclusive tribute to diversity. The word “us” also sounded like a reminder that belonging brings responsibilities.

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Norway is, above all, people.

Those responsibilities include protecting the community, respecting its laws and helping Norway remain strong for future generations, she writes. Rights, freedom and opportunities come with obligations. That is why the national phrase has gained deeper weight for her.

Brenna says the death of King Harald and King Haakon VIII’s first speech as king prompted her to put this understanding into words. When she arrived in Norway as a child, she had no clear idea of national identity or loyalty. She only knew she had reached a new country that would become home.

India, she says, never disappeared from her life. It remains the beginning of her story, her family history, cultural heritage and roots. But roots and belonging are not always the same. In Norway, her life has become woven into the lives of others, shaped by the country’s people, landscape and seasons. Her actions, she writes, have also become a small part of the place’s history.

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Norway is you. Norway is us.