In this book, I tell stories from my life on Hallig Hooge. They revolve around the residents, their ancestors, and mine. They have lived here for generations, defying the forces of nature. These are anecdotes about people who are stubborn yet lovable, weather-beaten yet gentle. The stories are shaped by the landscape, the weather, and nature. Experiencing the seasons in their play of colors fills me with joy time and again. I can never get enough of it. The air is spicy and salty, filled with the sounds of birds. And despite all these noises, I am overwhelmed by the silence that makes me pause time and again! The sea is not the vast ocean for us, but the often unruly waters of the North Sea. It surrounds us and flows through the land in small and large ditches, the Flieths. The ebb and flow of the water dictate life, and the residents have submitted to this rhythm since the first settlement. God must have felt an uncontrollable joy in creating this wondrous world. I cannot explain the beauty any other way. The water also teaches me humility – anew every day. I am right in the middle of it and feel quite small in the face of this abundance, even though I want to feel big. I can accept being small without hesitation, for God has opened my eyes and ears to the richness of life on Hallig. I live in a paradise of sky, earth, air, and sea. The older I get, the more I reflect on my dreams and aspirations that I had as a young woman. I wanted to be rich and recognized, famous as a painter, and if that didn’t work out, I at least wanted to be a good surgeon. I became neither one nor the other. Instead, I became a doctor’s wife, a mother of four, a grandmother of seven, a household manager, a medical assistant, and an X-ray technician. I was responsible for the staff and billing in my husband’s orthopedic practice.