returning home from home

A bird of paradise flower in my grandmother's garden.  Photographed March 6, 2009, Trinidad, West Indies.

I'm back from my whirlwind visit to Trinidad -- and first off, thanks so much to all of you who sent me your good wishes and condolences over the last few days.  While my stay in Trinidad was extremely short (I arrived at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday night, and took off at 9 a.m. this morning), it was an astoundingly good trip, given the circumstances.  I discovered on the flight over that it had been exactly 2 years to the day that I had left Trinidad, and it was so good to be back, to see all the familiar sights and smells of the city, to hug and kiss all my "ol' aunts" with their warm cheeks moist with tropical perspiration and hankies filled with perfume, to drink rum and "lime" with my favourite uncles and cousins (not to mention devour some of my Auntie Babsie's astounding roti and curry channa!).  And my family is well-loved:  I saw people I hadn't seen since I was a child, all there in that old, familiar church to pay their respects to my mom and her family and celebrate my grandmother's life.  When I boarded the plain at Piarco International Airport this morning, I found my overwhelming emotion was one of gratitude.

So now, I'll spend the rest of the weekend enjoying Marcus and Alex.  I'm so glad to be back home with them.

Thanks again for your wonderful words.

I have a good, good life.

Song:  Waiting in vain, by Bob Marley.  The album I've linked to here is really expensive; however, I do own it, and it's truly the definitive anthology of Bob Marley.  If you're a Bob Marley fan, it's worth every penny.