One kid, one hat, one man. These are the main characters in my story. All taking place on Virgin Gorda, in the year 2008. A mighty good year, I’d say,so far. Let’s check out the details of hope and loss.

A vacation, on Virgin Gorda, might be a dream trip. It is certainly new territory for a youngster. And unforgettable in many ways, for children of all ages. Even big children, even adults. The scenery, the air, the games and fun. The endless span of clear,blue water and the lovely and new creatures floating underneath.

Some baby turtles come to mind. And the needle fish, white in color that flit around your ankles. And the beautiful, fanned sting ray that wobbles around near the edge of the water at Little Dix Bay. Day after day,the children put on goggles and go looking for treasure. Sand dollars, star-fish and sea-urchin shells are true finds.

Now, it is possible to mis-place or lose something, anywhere you go. You can loose money easily, you can hide jewelry and forget where it is and you can loose track of time,as well as everything else. But, in a sandy place, it’s really hard to find a lost object. One gust of wind can cover the very tracks of your feet, just moments ago. And if you draw a face in the sand or build a sand-castle, one big wave and the whole show disappears.

Children are keepers. They pile things in the corner of their rooms, and lug precious possessions around. Teddy Bears and dolls are taken on long,long trips, all around the world. Mothers  are always looking for a lost something. One loss is a true good-luck charm. A lost tooth will surely invite the tooth fairy to visit, in the night. And to leave behind a small token.

A souvenier of something special is hard to loose! Recently, there was a young boy on Virgin Gorda. His name was Jed. He was from Rhode Island and he had a Red Sox baseball hat. We wore it every,single day,every place he went. It was a really precious item. And it told us all,something about him. He was one big fan of one big team. His dark blue hat, said it all. It was a signal to all of us who met him.

On his last boating day,with a sudden blast of wind, his hat blew off. Enter, the efforts of the captain. For,this seasoned captain was someone who was in to making sure the trip was fun and all treasures were on board at the end. But, it was not meant to be. The team landed,without the hat. Still,the captain had marked the spot where he thought it might be. And he traveled back to try and find it. Checking the reefs all around the spot. Many times.

Jed had to leave without his hat. He didn’t mind,but this wonderful Captain, couldn’t forget the kid who lost his hat. Guess what? Suddenly one day, during beach clean-up, Wayne Marshall ,the captain,saw the hat. It had washed up onto the sand. Folks, this was special. And still is. For, when it seemed that the fond fun of the vacation had ended with the loss of a special hat, the HAT re-appeared.

So, Jed’s hat is washed, dried and waiting for his return. Imagine his surprise when he hears this story? Don’t give up, folks. Keep looking for lost objects, lost thoughts and lost dreams. They may turn up, just so.

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