From Kathy in Illinois
This was a personal email to us from Kathy
that she allowed us to add to "Memories". She did not
write it to be shared originally but said, ok, if we felt it would
help others to deal with the loss.
Thank you Kathy
Trudy and Bill,
Just read your story on Remembrance Day which was very heart wrenching.
Thanks so much for that and the Fantome Page also.
I have to relay an event that
happened to me at Mass on Sunday. I live in a small town in Illinois
where I am sure not more that a few people have ever heard of
the Fantome, even though I have sailed her 4 times all with Captain
Guyan and most of the same crew.
When the homily started the
priest said "When I started writing this, I had to wonder
what the crew of the Santa Maria thought as they set sail for
the New World. When the Captain gave the order to hoist the sails
and the ship moved out of the harbor into the sea, where they
could no longer see land. How frightened they must have been wondering
if they would ever see home again.
He said more I am sure, but
the tears were streaming down my face as I reflected back to Captain
Guyan standing on the wheelhouse giving orders as we left Palm
Island in January. How it was Captain's Dinner and the crew was
in their finest for the photo session and how they pulled the
sails and the wind caught them and we came about to sail away
from shore.
I told my husband if they
played Amazing Grace I was leaving because I knew there was no
way I could handle it. My father is dying but I am prepared for
that. Not for the loss of friends that we have made over the last
several months. My husband handed me some money and told me to
light candles for my friends. Why on Sunday of all days would
he have said such a sermon is beyond me. I had wished that I could
be with you all or with Andi's Mom in Scotland, but I guess in
a way this mass was said for the Fantome and her crew.
I have said it before and
I will say it again. We WJer's are an unusual group of people.
We bond well and pull together. We are very lucky to have such
a group to commiserate with. Without the phone calls and emails
and pages like yours it would have been much harder.
Thanks,
Kathy