Years ago, I met someone I admire who went on a trip and decided they were going to stay and never go home again. I was on a Caribbean cruise. The ship had docked for a day of fun on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.
It was a long walk down the pier from the cruise ship into town. We walked in step to the loud steel drum island music coming from somewhere nearby. At the end of the pier, under huge colorful umbrellas, tables were overflowing with beautiful handmade items. Painted shirts and colorful sundresses hung from racks and island women in even brighter clothing and headwear greeted us warmly.
Looking out of place amid the many island women was a petite 40-ish attractive blond-haired woman. Her table was full of exquisite handmade jewelry. Each piece was crafted from colorful sea glass, smoothed from years of tumbling in the Caribbean tides.
As I admired her jewelry, we talked. I had to know if she designed all of it herself and she nodded. She told me she walked the beach every morning to find the smooth glass pieces, then worked all week creating her one-of-a-kind jewelry.
On the weekends, the cruise ships came into port and she always sold everything. Then on Monday, she started all over again.
She shared that she had left a high profile job and the rat race behind in New York City. On St. Thomas, she enjoyed a slow, peaceful life and she would never again live anywhere else.
When I heard her say that, I had to ask how she came to live on St. Thomas. It was a long, long way from New York City!
“I guess you could say I was blindsided.
Ten years ago, my then husband took me on a cruise for my birthday. Four days into the cruise, he told me he was in love with someone else and he wanted a divorce.
I never said a word. I went back to our stateroom, packed my suitcase and got off at the very next port, which was here. It's the best thing I ever did and I’ve never looked back.”
After talking with her, I had a lot of mixed feelings. How awful to be told by her husband that he loved someone else! I admired her courage for leaving him. She gave him no satisfaction and that took inner strength. Finally, once I had spent the day in St. Thomas, I was more than a little envious. The entire island was breathtaking.
BRAVA, blond lady … BRAVA. I have never forgotten you and how you handled a very difficult turning point in your life.