Leaving Cuttyhunk
- pfq143
- 14 minutes ago
- 2 min read
"Now when you get to the jettie, toss it overboard; that means you will return..."
That was Bonnie. I was about to leave on the 3 o'clock ferry back to New Bedford-- a 4-day visit turned into a 3-day by Erin, a hurricane surging northeast off the coast.
Bonnie had spent the morning gathering the island's wildflowers then making them into a garland or flower crown for my head. Wait...what?!
I hadn't been back to Cuttyhunk since 2021. My cousins have a tradition of gathering every year for a week on this magical oasis, the Southwestern-most of the Elizabeth Islands, an archipelago of small islands off Cape Cod. Nan and Bill, my cousin and her husband, are responsible for this magical tradition that has evolved over the years, family members and guests now numbering between 30 and 40 depending on the day of the week. Though the late-summer gathering has undergone many iterations and adjustments over the years, the spirit and enchantment of this gathering has remained the same...love, togetherness, family, friends and tradition.
I met Bonnie about a decade ago, the first time I ventured to Cuttyhunk with my three young children. We have always stayed at the Cuttyhunk Fishing Club, an old fishing club repurposed as an inn. In many ways, Bonnie has always embodied the heart and soul of the island to me-- true, loving, warm, welcoming, spirited, accepting. Every time I've returned to the island, her spirit is always there, whether I see her or not.
On this visit, Bonnie had heard that I'd be on-island and she came to the Fishing Club to find me. I later that it's the first time she's been in the Fishing Club since leaving there a couple years ago when it was sold. I couldn't believe Bonnie made the effort to come find me. I've learned that time is the ultimate gift. The gift of time-- to make space, priority and effort...to listen, to be present, to pay attention, to make someone the top priority for a moment or a few...
And to think that Bonnie spent the morning gathering flowers and making them into a garland for me to symolize always returning to Cuttyhunk...How could I not be overwhelmed? Bonnie, and her gesture, is with me forever.
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BLACK LIVES MATTER
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