Approaching Beaver Island from the air we were enthralled by the magnificent spectacle of mother nature presenting her annual autumnal art exhibition, the trees ablaze with a symphony of russet colours -in stark contrast to the practically treeless Arranmore.

From the first handshake we were enveloped by the wonderful, sincere generosity of our Beaver Island hosts. Each one of our group was adamant that their host family was the most hospitable on the island. They were wrong of course -mine was ! We were adopted by Helen Mc Pike, ably assisted by Sandy and Pete. Her beautiful home ("Grandma's Place" ) nestled in the woods, would be an ideal setting for a fairytale. The interior, so tastefully furnished, informs any visitor that  this is not a house but rather a real home where even pieces of furniture have stories to tell.

We were also invited to view the Mary Duffy house that has been so tastefully renovated by her daughter Kay Masini. She has achieved a perfect blend of youth and age, combining memorabilia and items from her childhood with more modern décor, achieving an effect of simple homey elegance. It should be made compulsory viewing for people who build holiday homes on the island, in the hope that it may influence their construction plans.

On Friday night we were  invited to the church center to meet other Beaver Island folk. What an occasion that was! It was like greeting old friends .The uncanny thing for me was  that some of these people bore a  striking resemblance to people on Arranmore .Each family provided a dish or dishes for the buffet table  that no hotel anywhere could match for choice or quality. We may have made only one visit to Beaver Island  but we made several return trips to that table! It was so obvious to us that you folks have a wonderful sense of community spirit from the presence of the children at the function to the infrequent use of surnames. Everybody seems to be on first name terms.

Island people are unique the world over and quite often are not conscious of it. Mainlanders have access to many services that are denied to islanders so that they set about mastering those skills for themselves and become expert in adapting things to suit their needs and circumstances. They dictate the pace of their lifestyle and are not slaves to deadlines enabling them to live longer and enjoy better lifestyles. Longevity is something  that they take for granted. A story is told about  a hundred year old man who lived on a small island off the coast of Donegal being interviewed by a local radio station. The reporter asked him to what did he attribute his long life? The senior citizen replied  "I suppose that you could put it down to the fact that I never died ! Children attending island schools seem to achieve better grades than their corresponding mainland students. I learned that the same is true of Beaver Island pupils. It would make a fascinating research project to determine why this is so.

Many people who came to live on islands ,after a certain length of time,  considered themselves to  be "Islanders" ! God love their innocence !  Real islanders will for the sake of peace tolerate this misconception but when the chips are down or a dispute of a serious nature arises they will  unceremoniously be reminded of their true status. On Arranmore they will be reminded that they are "Blow-ins" and on  our twin island on lake Michigan the "Fudgies" will be told the same! Nobody has ever been able to tell me  how long this period of apprenticeship  takes. The answer lies somewhere between years and generations!

The twinning ceremony on Saturday afternoon was devoid of  any pomp or ceremony and was all the more meaningful and sincere for it. It was an emotional occasion for many families from the two islands.I wonder if any of the original emigrants, ever, in their wildest dreams could imagine such an event taking place ? It was so appropriate that the actual unveiling ceremony  was performed by the children. They are the perfect bond between the past and the future.

Our Sunday morning departure from Beaver  was an occasion  of mixed emotions, glad that we came and sad to be leaving. In it's own ironic way it reflected the reason we came. On a pier in Arranmore, many generations ago, people assembled on many occasions. to bid a heartbroken farewell to loved members of their families who were heading across the Atlantic to a new life in America ,knowing that they would never see them again .We are of a different era and know that we can meet again -and the sooner the better. We look forward to the day when the Arranmore ferry approaches the island carrying a large group from Beaver Island  coming back to their roots. Maybe we can learn "It's a long way to Beaver Island" and sing it  to you

as you land just as you sang it to us as we bade you a tearful farewell. Until that day, dear friends, we say slan to you and in the words of an old Irish prayer -" Until we meet again, may the good Lord keep you safe in the palm of  His Hand ".