Alright, I'll tell it again here b/c it does belong in such a post. (sorry to those who have heard it one too many times before)

35+ years ago my parents (in their mid 30's) were on a Caribbean Windjammer cruise that ran into some very bad weather and as a result became quite disabled. (When my parents relayed the story to us kids they said it was pretty frightening.) The boat was taking on a bit of water and was in dire straits to get ashore quickly. St. Maarten was the closest island to them at the time. Somehow, word got out to the local residents that the boat was trying to make it ashore.

So, thankfully, with the help of the passengers doing a lot of serious work, the boat did make it ashore to Philipsburg. Waiting for them was a crowd or local residents waiting to help take in the passengers.

A local couple, Howard & Evelyn (in their late 50's), took in my parents and another couple traveling with them. H & E were actually American artists (and retired attorney) from La Porte, Indiana, who had moved to St. Maarten to enjoy life and work on their art. They offered my parents and their friends beds in their cottages. H & E were leaving the island the next day for a 2 week vacation. So, they told my parents and friends to enjoy as long of a stay as they wished, just tidy up before leaving, and leave them $10 to cover any utility usage. My parents and friends stayed out the remaining planned trip of less than a week.

Upon returning to the States my parents of course sent H & E a letter thanking them profusely for their kindness and generosity. They all contined to keep in touch. H & E invited my parents down to visit them in SXM many times over the next several years. And, my parents went. H & E introduced them to all their local friends. My parents considered all of them family. When H & E decided to move back to the states, they offered to sell their SXM property to my parents. My parents jumped at that offer. Thanks mom and dad - and thanks Howard & Evelyn!

We, as a family, continued to visit H & E in their new home in Ft. Myers. Over the years they both made us many peices of beautiful artwork (he a sculpture and she a painter) that each of my family members cherish dearly to this day.
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Howard has since died and Evelyn is now in a nursing home in Ohio. They have no surving family members. However, my mothers still keeps in touch with Evelyn through the letters she writes her and the pictures of SXM we still send her.