Scandinavian summer nights have a special light. The hours of fading daylight, the color blue moving through little steps towards a not-really-dark darkness.
During this change of light, the House of Poetry in Copenhagen hosted a book release. The artist was reading out loud while the musician created music with the movement of paper, her cello, her guitar, the silences in between, and the poems dripping through, dancing over, creeping in under your skin, into the brain, making you think, making you feel.
Applause. Photographers. Flowers. Stacks of books. Smiles. A crown of flowers. More music.
I am humbled by the fact the artist is my daughter.
I was congratulated by many people, stating, “You must be so proud.” But honestly, I am not. Her talent and her books are not mine to be proud of; they are hers, and I would have been just as full of love for her had she not been an artist.
I find my role as a mother is not to praise my children for what they DO, as this is basically just judgment. My role is to stand back in awe and see them unfold, my role is to listen and support. My role is to be a life-witness.
To love them unconditionally for what they ARE.
I remember clearly listening to music with her during the last weeks of pregnancy, how we had this space together before she was even born, and I knew. Somehow. Yet, when I met her the day she was born, I was blown away by her presence, by the way, she was carrying herself, the surprise of her clear person right there and then.
So much so that I had to cancel the only name I had on the list and wait until the right one appeared one hundred days later. A hundred days! I had to stand strong against everyone pushing me to “solve the problem” and coming up with names, some grandparents even began using their favorites. I had to wait for the right one.
One day on my cargo bike, she was sleeping on the pillows; it suddenly appeared: LivEa - that is her name.
Today it is on the cover of her books, just that, no surnames.
Congratulations, my daughter.
Love and light
Cecilie Conrad
# 145 of my 2023 writing challenge - Read them all here
More images from the book-release
Fjord & Liv
Congratulations my daughter
Notes of sound and poetry
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