But what can all these things have in common, you might ask, a little puzzled? Dream vacation, Coronavirus and Hurricane Irma?
What can I say, I am a house full of surprises and I tell you things my way. From my point of view, as a holiday home, I see a connection between what you are living as human beings and what I have experienced between the end of August and September 6, 2017. This connection, my dear friends, is uncertainty, which makes all of us put our trust in something greater than us. Can you see now?
Dream vacation and Hurricane Irma
First, let me get back to where I left you in my story, when my lovely Swiss-German designer was without news from me after Irma had clashed against my roof. Yes, I was afraid, and that’s putting it mildly. It was a terror that made me tremble. Yes, I confess, I prayed “My Island, my beautiful Island of Tortola, why have you abandoned me?” Does that remind you of biblical words? What can I say, I am a secular and I welcome everybody, but some situations make us rely on greater than oneself, even though we don’t really know what it is.
As for the dream vacation, I must say there wasn’t much left of it when the eye of the storm burst in – sorry for the lack of a more polite word, I was so afraid… – above my head. I kept a low profile. Hoping that Irma would forget about me despite her tempestuous passage –tempestuous indeed!
I stopped breathing. I waited. The winds were so violent… All vegetation around me was soaring up, beating against my walls and devastating the inside as well, at least that’s how it felt for me…
And all of a sudden…
Moment of grace
All of a sudden, it was as if I had a moment of grace. No one will believe me; I know it very well, because I was the only one to have such experience on that day. It was as if destiny had slowed down to protect me. I do not know if there’s an angel for houses, but I believe so. In any case, since that day – on my word of honor – I am certain of it!
Indeed, how come almost not a single house kept her roof but me? How come all my house friends nearby were badly destroyed – most of them completely – whereas I remained standing? Yes, I was protected. I was afraid of course, I said so before. But I wasn’t hurt.
Only some windows were shattered
Well, obviously, all those windows shattering made a lot of noise. There were bits of glass everywhere. But apart from one painting which was damaged (my designer loved it but I prefer the new one – there’s always a silver lining!) nothing had to be replaced!
However, everything had to be cleaned of course. And it’s my Swiss businessman, alone with a local kind soul, who fixed everything up. Weeks of work! Which couldn’t begin immediately, as you can imagine! Everything had to be cleared out first.
Nine months to fix everything up
Yes, it took nine months to restore everything. I must say that during nine days my builder didn’t get any news from me. Nine days which already felt like nine months! Connection was lost on the island, every one wept over a house, a nature or sadly even a life teared off by Hurricane Irma…
The garden, of course, was like a wasteland. As if it had never been thought out, loved, lovingly planted… It had no form, no joy left, only desolation. Thankfully, on MyALL’s word –that’s my name – I am a holiday home, a dream home and even a luxury home, judge my fine array for yourselves;
I was built by a Swiss-German who is precise as a Swiss watch and also very, very stubborn! He rebuilt everything. Not the house, which he had to clean, but the garden, which needed to be reenchanted!
The living room shines with all my soul
Yes, the whole house shines with all its soul, my soul, the one who greets you with such joy to accommodate two or sixteen people, for five days or two weeks! My paintings, so well thought out, chosen with such taste, allow you to revitalize yourself as you are soothed by the sound of the ocean below.
The rooms and the bungalows are ready to welcome you, you see! By the way, if you missed the story of my birth, I invite you to read this article about my conception; I am not modest, a little, but not too much…
So what about that connection between Coronavirus, dream vacation and Hurricane Irma?
I’m coming to that, I’m coming to that, what can I say, this modern world goes too fast and it must learn to slow down… And there is the connection.
Nature takes its time…
Me, as a house – even though I am a dream home – I found myself alone facing the unleashed elements. Speaking of which, you can learn about the beginning of my life, alone against the storm, by reading this article, it’s magical! (I love rhymes).
I sat down in front of uncertainty. And you – you who are reading me, humans of flesh and blood – well, you too are confronted to uncertainty, since you no longer have control over your plans. Alas, this terrible virus, invisible, but so real for you humans, is in control now. In the end, we face the same reality. Accepting, waiting and later standing up again! But we must weather the storm. Stand together with everything that surrounds us.
I hear that people in Europe can move about only when really necessary. In such situations, you find yourselves – as I do – facing the vastness of nature. Like in China, like everywhere. Whatever the color of our skin, in the end we are all the same. Is that the message nature is giving us?
You know it as I do. Nature means us well. Maybe it was time for us to stop running so fast? If you want to be notified – no rush! – of the articles I write, subscribe to my newsletter!
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