Sometimes you have to go way back to where it all started. David and I just returned to St Barts, my absolute favorite place on the planet. We were here together 13 years ago, single and kid free. I remember being here with him, not being in love like we are today, but longing for what we are experiencing now. We talked about what we were hoping for back then, and how our lives have turned out. This is a special place for us, and more beautiful now than I remember way back when.
Rain is becoming quite the little French girl. I wish so much that I spoke the language. I am committed to learning this year with my children. There is such a refined gentleness here in St. Barts. There are certain places that are perfect. St Bs is just that. There is a feeling of freedom here, and love is in the air. I will always remember when we first arrived… Rain and Shaya standing up in the convertible Cooper, Bossa N Marley, “No Woman No Cry” was playing on the radio, my kids had their hands up, eyes closed while the wind was blowing in their faces. Not a familiar scene on PCH…. It’s everything here, the sound of the rain beating on the window panes, the culture, the way people smile at you, etc.
I am enjoying watching my daughter adjust to a different way of life. She looks so free, and I only wish that same feeling for her many times to come at home. She is making new friends, being brave, trying new food, and communicating with an unspoken language with the international mix of children here. She has been adjusting so well with the different babysitters we have on some evenings so David and I can have a few moments for ourselves. In fact, the other day Rain said to me, “Mommy I have been working very hard babysitting my brother and you should pay me.” So I gave her $1 for each night she mentioned. That seemed fair enough to me. Last night at dinner, she snuck the money in my bag and offered to pay for our family dinner with her two bucks. It was so sweet and so RAIN. I am very grateful for the many times a day she stops to say “I love you Mama” And I do not think of the many times a day Shaya says, “You go AWAY!” They are two totally different souls…. But he is coming around, probably because he knows I am his ticket to the a.m. hot cocoa.
