“He restores my soul. He leads me on paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:3-4
Judy and I are privileged to have two countries in the Caribbean to which we can travel and feel the warmth of family and friends alike: Trinidad and Barbados, our “homes sweet homes”. Judy was born in Trinidad and I came into the world in Barbados.
We recently planned to spend two weeks over Christmas in Barbados but ended up extending the visit twice to accommodate overlap with family members on each side, whom we would have otherwise missed. We eventually spent 25 wonderful days with family, friends and visitors to the island and completed many personal and business chores.
There were so many engagements, activities and pleasant distractions that we never once went into the sea. I then understood the phrase that a change from one's regular activity can be as restorative as a holiday.
One morning, after an early walk and tasty breakfast, which included yummy fish cakes, I sat on the balcony of our second-floor hotel room overlooking the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, reflecting and appreciating Barbados as an idyllic warm weather destination.
Basil Springer
I soaked in a plethora of delightful sights. Differing shades of blue across the ocean from the horizon to the shore. Blue sky spotted with puffs of cumulus clouds. Foaming billows breaking across the reef. Snowbirds tanning their wintry bodies. A cruise ship making its way across the southern horizon into the Bridgetown port. Palm trees swaying in the breeze. Sandy white beach reflecting the brilliant sunshine. Anticipation for the following day’s Christmas dinner menu was swelling. Home Sweet Home in Barbados.
With the 25 days now over and done, we are back to routine in the Land of the Hummingbird, another impressive “home sweet home”. The prospects for 2023 include planning for a bigger and better annual Rotary Club of Central Port of Spain drive-thru CHOKAFEST fundraiser on Sunday, May 21 at Queen’s Hall; Shepherding for Enterprise Development, real and virtual, which is my passion; and writing a book – My Lineage, My Life, My Legacy.
Someone once said, “A mile of highway will take you just one mile, but a mile of runway will take you anywhere.” While we eagerly look forward to new travel adventures ahead, there is something precious about taking off on two very special runways to “our homes sweet homes”, where we can continue to enrich the very dear bonds of family and friendship.
