In the midst of the worst of the Valyra last week, a news clip broke through the din of my social media.
For unclear reasons, food had not been delivered to the dementia sufferers at a nursing home in Älmhult. Then Erdina Glavas, one of the employees, went to Maxi, shopped and cooked for the residents all weekend, Smålandsposten wrote.
When asked where her initiative came from, she answered with total clarity that "it came from the heart". But what did she think of the fact that the food delivery had been missed? the reporter tried. "I don't know their work environment. They are people too," she said.
All this delivered with the world's most charming Bosnian accent - you can be happy for less.
The next day I saw another clip, this time from Smålänningen, where regional politicians were asked what they respected most about their biggest political opponent. A few seconds of confusion followed and then big smiles.
The moderates and the Sweden Democrats praised the leftist Kerstin Wiréhn because she is always honest. "There is no one who can question her heart," agreed the Christian Democrat. Wiréhn himself thought it was good that the Sweden Democrat was always clear.
Both of these clips have managed to capture exactly what I was missing during the election campaign – warmth, respect and yes, heart.
In the weeks leading up to the election, I have mainly seen hatred and intransigence. I usually read comment fields connected to various political events, as a way to take in and try to understand even more unfiltered thoughts and opinions. But as the election temperature rose, it became almost unbearable.
A report in which I interviewed women from the association Mammor from Hammarkullen who worked to get more people to vote in their area aroused strong emotions. When the article spread on social media, cheers were mixed with gross abuse.
"We are part of Sweden", they said in my article. "Whale cattle", was shouted over and over in the comment fields. How to overcome this?
When they themselves are not seen or heard, they are reduced to passive pawns in the increasingly heartless political debates in which they are the focus
The mothers knew they would face hate when they came out in the paper, but they did it anyway. Taking a stand and making their own case was too important, they said.
Many had not been able to - in recent years I have found it increasingly difficult to get people from areas dense with immigrants to show up for interviews. It is not just about a lack of trust in the media, but in the whole of Swedish society.
When they themselves are not seen or heard, they are reduced to passive pawns in the increasingly heartless political debates in which they are the focus.
Therefore, it was in a way refreshing to hear Jimmie Åkesson say in SVT's party leader debate that Muslims and other immigrants could decide the election. In that scenario, the group suddenly got an agent – a political power.
Shortly after the election, we at DN made a compilation which showed that turnout in vulnerable and particularly vulnerable areas has increased by four percentage points. The sample is too small to draw any firm conclusions about how it may have affected the result.
Some say it shouldn't matter – we all contribute to deciding the election. I agree. But the fact that a group that year after year had low turnout seems to have reversed the trend is great and deserves to be highlighted. They may need to hear that they can make a difference.
I want to think of it as a tentative attempt to trust Sweden - an outstretched hand. Hopefully there is someone on the other side who can receive it.
