We Wish You a Merry Christmas – December 25, 2021

Hopetown, Bahamas

Norman Rockwell was an American painter famous for his reflections of American society for over 50 years, Christmas specifically. He painted the perfect view of the 1950’s family sitting at the table all around a perfect turkey enjoying the day, drama free. I was one of the lucky ones and it was how I grew up, in a Disneyworld environment and I will be forever grateful to my parents for creating this. I lived up to this standard and created this for my children most of their lives whether they remember it, I don’t know. Outside of the drama my divorce created, it was all they knew.

Then came COVID, then came my kids starting to choose their own college and job experiences. These are all choices they are now learning have impact since not all these choices were close to home. The Christmas they once knew were not happening every year as not all of us were together. When your family starts to fan apart geographically, how does Christmas still feel like Christmas if you are not all together? When you are managing a blended family with multiple ex-spouses and schedules, how do you keep the traditions alive you once knew to be a part of every year? We pondered some of these questions and headed back to spend the perfect day back in Tahiti Beach on a sandbar in the middle of the clearest water I have ever seen. I wonder how Norman Rockwell would depict a Zoom Christmas.

Sailing Husband was still wrestling with the water pump, which he determined was a larger issue than we thought causing us to fix before we could move on. Ron ended up figuring out a way to get a rebuild kit shipped to Marsh Harbour. The next day we headed into the harbor to make water and anchor for the day. After our drama of yesterday, a change of scenery was in order, and this was the perfect excuse. In the event making water works (please work!), we will not need to add water-maker parts to our water pump order. We planned to go into Marsh harbor later in the week to pick up the order. Once fixed, we could move along in our journey. If we are going to be waylaid, this really is the perfect place! It’s a tough life but we will try to suffer through. I think snorkeling is in order today.