How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

When travelling to Cuba, there was no expectation

of making new friends. The thought had not really surfaced that there was the possibility of running into several people who lived in the same geographical region of Canada. It was a pleasant surprise to make many new friends who stay in touch.

The stories and reasons as to why people travel

are always fascinating. Never the same exactly. Some were travelling who do it regularly, some on a rare family vacation, others seeking to put physical, and hopefully mental, distance between themselves and a bad situation.

Cuba had been on the bucket list for a while so when a buddy recommended we go, it was an easy decision.

During our stay I met Erin and her lovely Grandma

who saw me happily snapping pics with my basic little point and shoot. We struck up a conversation and a photoshoot was born the next day on the beach in full sunlight. Terrible conditions to shoot under but still fun and a great challenge. Which I love.

After the trip was over,

many of us who had travelled to Cuba and the same resort found ourselves at Pearson International Airport in Toronto watching the luggage belt rotate baggage while we all kept a lookout for our own. Others farther back would let us know if they saw their bag and we would grab it up and send it back to them.

It was while waiting for bags I found myself standing beside Erin

who was also staring at the belt. I asked her how she was doing and she just crumpled against my chest and softly began to cry. I can only imagine that it must have looked something like a grizzly bear comforting a dove. But there she was. It was obvious her heart was broken and the guy she thought the world of had left her. I just let her stay there and cry and patted her back while quietly saying one of my best platitudes, ‘That guy is crazy and he for sure doesn’t deserve you.’ But her heart still felt differently.

During any photo shoot, I am always in search of something. That moment of clarity or some might say truth when the camera is lucky enough to catch a glimpse of someone's soul and reveal their true feelings. So amidst the various shots we tried, we chatted easily and enjoyed each others company. And I just let it all unfold as I usually do. And this shot came up when I was reviewing my images later that night, and I knew I had been lucky enough to find a small sliver of soul.

It really wasn’t that obvious to me

while at the resort in Cuba that she was there to put distance between herself and that relationship. Her very cool Grandma has taken her to Cuba as cool Grandmas would likely do.

Other than Erin being what you would expect a 20 something year old woman to be while in Cuba, nothing really seemed out of the ordinary.

Maybe she danced a little more, drank a little harder,

paid for it a little more and had to miss our pontoon boat ocean excursion when she threw up in a bush before we left. Her shade of green blended in nicely with the bush and she stayed behind. Poor sweetheart.

Her and her Grandma only live about an hour away from me and I see updates from them on FaceBook. It’s pretty cool I think. I loved the trip, I loved the people and I had a great time. I’m really touched that I could fly so far and meet new friends that live close to me year round.

Of course, the photoshoot is never really over so long as I'm holding a camera!

How can you mend a broken heart?

Love,
Bug

©Images @TheBugIQ