“It’s a lot better here. I’d live here. Who wouldn’t rather live here?”
Day Four and Ethan arrived.
Yesterday on the way to the doctor he said, “There are such great views!” and “All the little white houses – everything white – it makes it feel so ancient and old. Everything feels like you’re in history.”
I don’t think we’re going to have any issues with Ethan and Patmos.
At the same time, Patmos didn’t feel quite itself this morning. A Norwegian Cruise Line ship of 2,000 – the largest ship that ever pulls up to the island and usually only a couple of times per summer – unloaded what felt like at least half the population of Britain. Coming out of the house, usually quiet Cafe Mostra was packed to the gills with people having calm discussions in a low din. Because Sunday is when the largest number of Greeks have off, I initially assumed it must be an unusually large after-church crowd or a family event like a baby naming or birthday. Then I realized there was no smoke, it was too quiet, too orderly and the people were all older and very white. And then I realized I could understand them.
For the local shop owners, a boat full of British passengers is a treat. Citizens of the Anglo countries are known to be better spenders. For me and the kids, British travelers mean the town won’t get taken over with stupidity, ignorance and chaos. Travelers coming off Celestyal Cruises – a budget cruise line out of Turkey – brings passengers from around the world including America – who generally make the town less pleasant. But even at four times the number, higher-end NCL passengers from the UK somehow knew not to crowd the roads and to walk the paths in an orderly, pleasant fashion.
I was able to do the morning errands – butcher and grocery – with the same ease as any other morning including a pleasant chat with Theologia, the owner of Proton. The kids then helped haul out the garbage and recycling – and off we went to Pleiades, our favorite restaurant with a swimming pool overlooking Sapsilla Bay. There’s nothing like a low-chlorine, freshwater pool overlooking one the prettiest coves (that itself isn’t so swimmable) on Patmos. For the cost of lunch – and a nice one at that – we get the day at the pool and all the filtered ice water we can drink.
Ethan made vast progress over the course of the day with his eczema. Using medications and a lot of Aveeno Eczema Therapy lotion made highly noticeable change by bedtime. When he woke up, he could bend his arm normally again, there was no sign of infection, much of the eczema on his body was gone and his arms looked altogether better. We’re continuing the treatment today, but he felt well enough to swim in a freshwater pool – and given this one is very low chlorine because of a special filtration system, I thought we could chance it. All the same, I brought Aveeno so Ethan can moisturize between swims. So far, so good.
Getting back outside and in the water has been good for everyone.
I told Sennen these five uninterrupted weeks with he and Ailyn are my favorite time of the year – made all the better by spending them on Patmos. Sennen told me he feels the same – and having Ethan has made it even more fun and special. It feels good knowing there’s meaning and joy in the experience.
For myself, I also feel like I’m finding my way back to being me. While work and life continue no matter where I am, so many critical life events and moments have passed. The worries, pressures, planning, anxiety, sadness, grief and also joys have taken place. Not that there won’t be more moments of grief. Not that I won’t continue to think back warmly on the Bar Mitzvah. But I am letting go. Here on Patmos, I can return to the present. I am enjoying my kids, I feel safe and comfortable and there is a constant sense of calm and joy. Between its spiritual energy, kind people, sublime hues of blue, and the incredible power of the Hellenic sun, it’s easy to embrace all the positives life has to offer.
That’s not to say Patmos is magically charmed and no grief comes here. I’ve seen people’s losses. Storms this past winter were harsh and led to flooding in businesses and homes around the New Marina and a few other places. There were days when ferries weren’t able to reach Patmos on occasion and should there have been a medical emergency, helicopters might not have been able to provide lifesaving medical transport. We are all vulnerable and nowhere is perfect. Life can be in session anywhere, anytime.
Still, on balance – some places have a little more to offer. Summers on Patmos never feel like a mistake. If God leaves us a trail of breadcrumbs, Patmos is one of them. In my life, on more than one occasion, Patmos has been perfectly timed.
