An Offer I Couldn't..You Know

Governor's Harbor, Eleuthera, Bahamas

This trip was totally unplanned, totally unexpected.
I had emailed a good friend and asked if she wanted to go to Florida over the Easter holiday. "I'm going to Eleuthera with my daughters. Why don't you join us."
Now generally, I don't jump at spontaneous offers like that. In fact I can count on two fingers ( this being the second finger ) the times I've considered the offer, much less accepted. One of my rules is that I ask at least two, preferably three times--in different ways-- to see if it is a sincere invitation based on wanting to have my company, rather than an afterthought or "oh by the way". And, of course, I weigh the pros and cons of going based on what is occuring in my world of commitments.

As it turns out, I had plenty of commitments, fires, I suppose, many of which I couldn't have anticipated when I bought my ticket. So, it was a measured decision based on what I could do from here to meet those obligations. I'm struggling with that objective--finding internet access has been a challenge, for example. But I'm intrepid on that score, and am gathering my resources ( including this wonderful wireless space at a little resort outside town, Cigatoo, where they feed me conch chowder while I do my work from the patio shaded by a Grosfilex blue umbrella; listening to mellow 80s and 90s music over the pretty good sound system.

But I digress.

So, I followed my rule--asked three times in different ways, at different times, to be sure. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the time with the girls alone?" And a second time: "Are you sure you don't want to have this as family time?" And finally, : " It's Liz's birthday. Don't you want to celebrate that, just the three of you?" Each time, she said "No". So, I took her at her word.

Off to an auction to benefit the tiny library on the azure, pink sand harbor tonight. Hope to see some friends from past visits here. And give a little to the lovely, gingerbread clapboard Haynes Library ( white with blue and yellow trim ) nestled next to the Catholic church and 200 year + cemetery. The library does wonderful service to this part of the island with special programs for the island children, and coffee claches with ex pats who live here either part of full time-- a lovely mix of Brits and Americans.


And I'm glad I did. Glad for the offer from my friend Ann, glad I accepted. Glad to be here.



MC