To Table of Contents
a Caribbean island is the best childhood you could give them , but my column doesn ’ t allow for more than what I told you so far . I am already way past the 1,000 words maximum I promised myself for this issue .
It pains me to hear expats say things like “ we ’ re moving because of the kids ’ education ”. To me there is nothing more educational than playing outside with friends , using your imagination instead of the latest electronic gadget to entertain yourself with . Growing up on an island meant running around barefoot , making mud pies whenever it rained , playing with marbles in the dirt and spending long days at the beach and never leaving the water , unless it was for a sip of juice , a bite of sweet bread and cheese or a chicken leg from the barbecue grill usually operated by an uncle . Getting scared by old folklore stories of Èzè and other island monsters told by aunts , uncles or older cousins , while sitting outside on the deck at night . It was sleeping with the windows open , it was having your backyard as your own kingdom and it was respect for anyone older than yourself .
Yes , looking back I had the best childhood . Growing up island , back then especially , was simple , fun and above all safe . It ’ s an experience like no other and that I certainly wish more kids could have .
Riselle