“FOR HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS AND ESTABLISHED IT UPON THE WATERS”

What a beautiful and fitting motto for us to adopt –

Living in Cayman up to the present 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 with those days what we didn’t have we certainly didn’t miss. Digging wells for water, 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 downpipes).

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

God has blessed us well in 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 us make it really well. Until recently we have had interruptions in our peaceful way of living, like a downturn in the whole world trickling down to us, of course, causing a change in our peaceful way of living (you know what I’m referring to).

Never-the-less, I’m grateful to have a piece of Cayman to call home, a balcony to sit on from which I can view the traffic, trees all around me, birds – especially the parrots talking to me, convenient travelling arrangements eg. car, bicycle, numerous friends to visit and share special time with. We have beautiful sunshine most of the year round, a reliable electric company providing us with current to provide us with hot water, lighting (instead of having to use a match to light a lamp as 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 backhouses.

Yes, I would say thanks to God and family and friends living here in the Cayman Islands is nothing less than paradise – to me anyway. You name it, we’ve got it. At least it’s there for those who want it and know how lucky we all are to be small in size but giants in heart and love.

Joan Wilson