The "We Shall Survive!!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a response to an email I had sent to friends in Sint Maarten a day or two ago.  You may remember, it was back on August 30 of this year that a hurricane developed in the Atlantic by the name of Irma.  The storm reached a Category 5 by the time it struck the island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin.  The devastation was unreal!  Pictures and films made immediately after the storm departed were heartbreaking.  Carol and I have traveled to the island over a dozen times in the past 10 years and have made many friends over that time.  Two of those friends, Barbara and Diederick, lived in the hills of Sint Maarten (Dutch side of the island) beyond the capital city of Philipsburg.  For days we worried about their safety and weren't able to correspond with them due to the lack of many services including WiFi.  Finally we received an email telling the horrors of what was done to their home and our beloved vacation spot in the Caribbean.  Well, over the past two months we have been corresponding whenever possible and they recently sent a email telling what has been happening on the island.  I asked if they would mind if I shared some of their comments and thoughts on my blog and they were most accommodating.  I should tell you that Diederick owns and operates a liquor store on Front Street in Philipsburg as well as maintaining a beautiful garden next to their home.  

Carol, on the left, looks with Dee and Barbara at some of
Dee's garden a few years ago.

We have made several visits to their home and Carol and Dee always walk through the garden, talking and viewing the many varieties of plants, bushes and trees that Dee has growing in his garden.  As you can assume, Irma decimated his beautiful garden, but their most recent email gave us an update.  Parts of Barbara's letter follows, telling what has happened since the storm struck.  I will share it with you so you are able to see what it is like to have to start you life over again through the eyes of someone who is at present going through it.  It reads:  Hi Larry,  Yes, the garden is coming back.  The island is getting nicely green.  This storm did not damage and burn the vegetation like Luis did (another fierce hurricane that struck in 1995).  I think because it moved fast and Luis stuck around.  So the garden is getting green again.  Rather bare, but green.  I can see the whole neighborhood now LOL.  The liquor store is open with no looting and no real damage, just problems with the wiring and the air conditioners which we are still trying to fix.  Most of Front Street is not open.  There is just no business.  

The garden as it looks today

The first cruise ship is scheduled for December 4th but we shall see.  Carnival and Disney refuse to come until the place is in better shape.  The island looks better every day, but there is still much to be cleaned up and repaired.  Most major hotels will not open at least til Spring of 2018 and some not in 2018 at all.  There is a lot of unemployment as a result of course and the economic outlook is really scary.  It's discouraging but everyone is trying to put one foot forward as much as they can.  We are all stressed and depressed though.  The Simpson Bay restaurants and beach bars are mostly open which is good.  Small businesses are trying to do the best they can.  Truthfully right now the Dutch side is looking much better than the French side.  Very little rebuilding has gone on there, mostly because of government and insurance.  Everyone is waiting for financial help I think.  

Orient Beach is bare after the storm.

Orient is bare.  It looks like it did 40 years ago when I came here.  It's kind of nice really ... the beach is beautiful.  But, I know it's bad econom- ically for all those businesses.  The roads are all open.  Getting around the island is fine.  It's dark at night, but I know you don't drive much at night.  The island is safe for the most part.  So, the 64 thousand dollar question ... should you come?  It's a hard question to answer.  Yes, we want you to come because it will be important to help bring up the economy.  Will it be the same island?  Absolutely not.  It will be very different and somehow sad.  And much quieter.  Of course by April it will be improved from what it is today.  Each day does get better.  Your choices for dining and activities will be more limited though, but I think people like you and Carol who know and love the island could handle that.  Think nice quiet beaches with not much to do.  We would love to see you.  We will be here.  We cannot go anywhere for a while.  We are tired ... so tired.  Every day its trying to get things fixed and not always succeeding.  I said to him the other day that this is supposed to be our golden years of retirement and we are working harder than ever.  Both of us are healthy though so that is good.  We are too old to go through this crap though, but here we are.  We shall survive.  Barbara's letter to me ended with her closing notes and as you see, life goes on, but it seems to get harder as the days progress.  It's easy for me to wish them well, and I'm sure they appreciate the kind words, but until I can walk in their shoes, I have absolutely NO IDEA what it must be like.  Can you imagine what would happen if your town or city was mostly destroyed by a storm?  I have an idea in my mind what it may look like, but then again it is in my mind and not in REAL LIFE!  And, at my age, I'm not sure I could handle it.  I'll finish my story with this small note to Barbara:  May God protect and strengthen you and Dee and may your hearts be filled with the love and encouragement needed to see the end of your journey to normalcy and know that it is near!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.