Today I had an encounter with a local man here in
Naxos. He seemed to materialize
from thin air to help me grab dock lines for a neighbouring boat. He even took the time to teach me how
to properly throw the lines back to the boat. I know, I know, I should know how to do this by now. I then had to pay for our stay here in
the harbour with him.
He was such a kind, gentle man. He took the time to chat with me about where the chandlers
and grocery stores are located.
Even gave me directions to this amazing bakery where they bake their
bread with a woodstove. (On a side
note, after many wrong turns in the labyrinth that is Naxos, we found this
bakery. The bread was still warm
and needless to say the bread did not make it back to the boat once the four of
us got our hands on it.)
Anyway, you get the idea. This man had such a warm nature. Right after I returned to the boat from paying for our stay,
a woman from a neighbouring boat stopped by to say hi. For some reason the woman shared with
me the information that this man I had been talking with is currently
undergoing chemo for pancreatic cancer.
Well to put it mildly, this hit me like a ton of bricks.
On November 9 my dad would have turned 75 years old. It is hard to believe it will be 5
years in December since my dad passed away from pancreatic cancer. What a terrible disease, I wouldn’t
wish it on my worst enemy. To
watch my dad suffer and waste away is still the hardest thing I have
experienced.
When I looked again at this man I met this morning, I
immediately recognized the similarities to my dad. Everything about this man reminded me of my dad, from his
warm, calm nature to his willingness to patiently show me the ropes (pun
intended). And yet here is a man
who I know is experiencing immeasurable pain from what I witnessed my dad
experience.
Perhaps it is the timing of this encounter so close to my
dad’s birthday, but it has hit me tremendously hard. The fact that my dad had only nine healthy years of
retirement is one of the primary reasons I made this decision to jump into this
adventure. To follow our dreams
while we have our health and just live life to the fullest because you just don’t
know how much time we have on this earth.
I often wonder what my dad would think of what I am
doing. Travel was never his
thing. What I do know is he would
think we are crazy to have sold our house and taken such a financial
gamble. But I also know my dad
would still support me and be proud of my taking a chance to see what else life
has to offer.
Best wishes Janet. Sometimes chance encounters can be profound.. sometimes mundane, but they are all an opportunity for reflection.
ReplyDeleteYou are not kidding, Paul! We have enjoyed many profound encounters, especially recently during our stay in Poros. It is the people we have crossed paths with who have had some bigger impacts on us than the beautiful places we are visiting.
DeleteThat was a wonderful story, Janet. I still let a reminder of your dad's birthday pop up on my computer because it is good to remember good people. I'm sure you are right that he would have thought you were crazy. I know that he would be proud. I hope you get to see your stranger again because I bet you did something for him, as well. -Rhea
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rhea! Your comment is touching that you remember my dad's birthday, thank you.
DeleteJanet, your post reminds me of the concept that Kim and I have embraced in our travels, that is, "the kindness of strangers". We recognize it when we see it, acknowledge it, and appreciate it too. We also practice it. A good read if you're interested, "the kindness of strangers, lonely planet edition". Happy sailing. Neal
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommended read, Neal! You and Kim influenced how we will approach our future travels, we are beyond fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet you both.
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