To the Esquivel family: Thanks for making us your neighbors

I have the pleasure of calling Eric Esquivel my friend and many of you, Lowcountry Latinos especially, also share the feeling. Eric and his brother and sister went to school with my children so I have known them for some time.

The entire Esquivel family has been the unofficial voice of Latinos in our area and has worked tirelessly to bridge the cultural gap throughout the Lowcountry for years.

Eric and his family were recently recognized for their work at the Foundation for Educational Excellence’s annual “Jewels and Jeans” soiree. The “Peggy May Inspiration Award” now has a happy home and a place of honor in the Esquivel’s office and they are thrilled.. The fun event was held at the Country Club of Hilton Head and raised more than $30,000 to benefit Beaufort County students by providing grants to exceptional teachers for innovative projects not funded through traditional methods.

The Esquivel family is passionate about its work and dedicated to their cause. We are indeed fortunate they chose Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry to call home.

How Coco Chanel dreamed big

My granddaughter Campbell brought a book with her to our “Sunday Funday” dinner this past week. The book is called “ Little People, Big Dreams — Coco Chanel.”

It is an adorable children’s biography about the life of the fashion icon.

Chanel’s mantra was “To be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

And different she was. While other little girls her age were playing, Chanel liked to sew with a needle and thread. She dreamed of patterns and the different shapes of things. When she grew up, she started making hats, and they became all the rage. One evening at a party, Chanel noticed that there were no ladies dancing. She later found out that their corsets were too tight. And voila, a style was born! Simple, straight dresses requiring no tight underpinnings became the go-to for many ladies. Coco Chanel changed the way women dressed forever.

While reading this charming little book, we found out that a dream does not have to be just that. There is nothing wrong with a bit of hard work and being a bit different .

A sure-fire winner

There is a new kid on the block here in Bluffton.

Pat Branning and her son Andrew have given us a beautiful treat. Shrimp, Collards and Grits magazine is hot off the press. This new magazine is a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection of reading material.

The photographs by Andrew are beautiful as is the artwork pictured. As I turned each page, there was a wonderful surprise waiting. Beth Blalock styled many of the parties that are pictured and, if you know Beth’s work, you know they are lovely. The articles are very interesting and very timely dealing with many facets of our Lowcountry life. This latest offering from Pat is a sure-fire winner.

Bluffton’s bright future

When we moved to Bluffton in 1972. Hard to believe it has been that long.

We found a very simple lifestyle. The children were quite little; Jamie was a gleam in his father’s eye. The children and I spent our days in the marsh trying to catch fiddler crabs or on the beach chasing birds and playing in the ocean. It was glorious.

The population in Bluffton was about 700 and, if you counted the “Bluffton” dogs, you could add another 100 souls or so.

Well, times have changed. We have all grown up and our family has happily multiplied to include various “treasures-in law” and grandchildren we adore.

I listen daily to people opining about how Bluffton has changed.

It is not the same as it used to be. There are many new visitors arriving and many of them decide to stay and join us. We welcome them and are happy they got here and are willing to share their expertise in many areas of our community.

Nothing ever stays the same. Just look in the mirror and you will understand. While we might miss that old simple life, there are many among us working very hard to create a wonderful bright future for all.

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 9:32 AM with the headline "To the Esquivel family: Thanks for making us your neighbors."