I imagined a calm month ahead of me. The end of the year usually inspires us to slow down, look back and reflect. In a way it was like that and even more so.
This month, my grandmother died. This month, I found an agent, received a year award at the National Library and spent days in bed with Covid. It wasn’t my first Covid. But this one put a deep pause on my month for a very slow week. Because of it I didn’t make it to my dear grandma’s funeral.
Yet the night before I tested positive, I had the most beautiful walk. With the sad news about my grandmother’s soul sailing away, I knew I needed to be by the sea. I took Nemo and we walked. When we had crossed the pine forest, covered in deep white snow, it was already dusk. When we reached the sea, it was a pitch black winter evening. The beach was white, the sky was black and the invisible sea was present only as a sound. And right there on my left in the middle of the nothingness the lighthouse blinked.
It was a calm month with lots of rest and reflection. With so many things to say thank you to. First of all to my 94 year old grandma, once an actress and always a storyteller, who I lovingly blame for my obsession with books and dogs. Her home library – a whole wall covered in books – was in a five minute walk from my home. I grew up with her stories, her home-made cookies and her beautiful black dogs: the last one became my friend and made me dream of my own dog for my whole life until this year this dream came true. Thank you.
I am a mother of two. Both boys came into this world in the middle of winter. Both pregnancies reached their finish lines around the time of the Advent – weeks of waiting and not knowing. Lighting one Advent candle after another with my belly becoming a planet. Niklāvs, my youngest, was born in December nine years ago – on the Winter Solstice. Kristians, my first, arrived in January on the day of the Epiphany. He will be 14 next month. I can’t help becoming all soft and cosy when this time of the year arrives. Looking at them, loving them, teaching them to behave and to misbehave. Being with them. It’s another of many blessings.
I am grateful for my job at the National Library that I found exactly a year and a half ago. It fills my pockets with everything I need to fulfil my little dreams and to fill the Sea Library up to the top with books. This job gives me knowledge as well. I am a wild and untamed soul and yet I am humble enough to always learn. So I decided to knit the sea loving family in a tight community where I know each reader’s interests so the Sea Library could become even more useful. So I put a survey out there and received a lot of answers from all over the world – from Latvia, USA, UK, Mallorca, Japan etc. 13 sea loving readers have filled out this survey (thank you!) and they will be the first ones to receive symbolic reader’s cards sometime next year. It was interesting to read that the most important thing about the Sea Library is – just to be there. To inspire. And to inspire to believe in dreams.
Speaking of cards, the new Sea Library postcards have been printed. Fourth in the series, drawn by my sister – Latvian artist Katrīna Ģelze. If you want one, let me know.
Another thank you goes to stars. This summer my agent retired and my book projects became stranded. This month, I found a wonderful agent in America. I will be able to tell you all details next year. But already – blessed. Lying down in the Sea Library with all my tentacles spread out, taking care of the books, hugging my loved ones and reaching out to stars.
Merry Christmas & Happy 2024
Yours,
Anna x
Sea Library 