By Joan (Watler) Wilson

“For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters” Psalm 24 v 2

What a beautiful and fitting verse from scripture for us to adopt…..

Living in the Cayman Islands up to the present [that’s 82 years plus] has meant that God has given me the opportunity to live in a little 27 x 3.1/2 miles of pure paradise.

I was brought up in a big family with beautiful parents, sisters and brothers, neighbours and friends all around.

Having no real conveniences, but in those days what we didn’t have we certainly didn’t miss. Digging wells for water, and digging pits for sewerage disposal, how I remember it all so well. Once, every year, we would have to go to the cistern and clean it ourselves before the rains were due.

And speaking of rain, it was certainly enjoyed by us all – barefoot and paddling in the puddles – how refreshing, especially under the gutters (that had no downspouts).

Everybody was our friend and I still feel that way about everyone living here until proven otherwise.

God has blessed us well so many ways, like our freedom to develop into one of the most popular tourist destinations, from an ‘Island Time Forgot’.

Life here is what we make it and most of it make it really well. We have had our ups and downs and interruptions in our peaceful way of life with shootings, robberies, cars being stolen, muggings. preying on the elderly, kids turning into thieves, gangs, etc. causing a change in our peaceful way of living (you know what I am referring to.) In my day we knew and lived around our parents and we knew all our neighbors, too. We played together with our friends and we knew the meaning of the word “LOVE”.

Never-the-less, I’m grateful to have a piece of Cayman to call home. Once I had a balcony to sit on from which I could view the traffic, the tress all around me, birds – especially the parrots talking to me, convenient travelling arrangements eg. car, bicycle, and still some old friends and relations still living (even if their numbers are dwindling) and a loving husband. The house I call home now is much, much smaller, and miles away from Town, but God is good. He blessed me with a large mango tree and this year we had a bumper crop. The sweetest and juiciest mangoes ever!

We still have beautiful sunshine, even if every year it seems hotter and drier, a reliable electric company providing us with means to have hot water and lighting (instead of having to use a match to light a lamp as we had to do in the past).

We also have a water company providing us with good clean water (instead of the cistern) and sewerage instead of our “lovely” three-seater backhouse!

Yes, I would say thanks to God and family and friends living here in the  Cayman islands is nothing less than (and yes I’m going to say it again) PARADISE. I believe it and despite some people who want to spoil it this country is paradise. You name it, we’ve got it. At least it’s there for those who want it. We are lucky. We are small in size. However, we are giants in heart and love.

Love and blessings to all our readers (and even if you aren’t) ….

I am,

Joan