“I took a trip to this little island called Vieques in Puerto Rico. I went to visit Culebra for the day, so I took a small plane in the morning and decided to take the public ferry back from Culebra.
Long story short, after waiting 5 hours for the ferry, I meet a woman named Irma, a cancer survivor who lived alone on the island. One of the craziest storms begins to unravel after we had boarded the ferry. I’m scared out of my mind and she forced me to sit up top in the open with her. I go up with her and hold on to the bar for dear life. I remember the water splashing everywhere and this ferry moving frantically from side to side. I will never forget her peace. She just sat there and actually enjoyed it- like she was on a yacht in St. Tropez. She saw how incredibly frightened I was and she said, “Why are you so afraid? All you have to do is ask God to protect you and enjoy the moment. Stop being so afraid in life, you miss out on these moments.”
I remember how powerful her words were to me. That was such a pivotal moment in my life. I sat back, stared at the moon and promised myself to never be so scared I forget to stop and appreciate the beauty that surrounds me.”