Solid On The Rock - Kelly Krall

"Being strong on St. John requires a lot of patience and kindness. That's been my saying from day one." - Kelly Krall

Historically, the Irish are a strong, tenacious people who survive with a unique outlook on life and death (a cry, a laugh, and then a couple-a-Guinness). One of my favorite traditional Irish blessings says, "May those that love us, love us. And those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts. And if He can't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping." This toast never fails to crack me up, and it seems to capture the distinctive, gallows humor of the Irish (even their supplications contain ironic twists). Kelly Krall is the embodiment of this attitude. The proprietor of St. John's one and only Irish pub, the famous Quiet Mon, made some time during one of her busiest weeks all year to meet with me. Kelly is in great spirits this morning; everything for the St. Paddy's Day parade is in order, and she even has a few friends flying in that she can't wait to see. Despite the fact that her life hasn't turned out how she expected or hoped it would (which is not to imply that she's not successful), Kelly still greets each new day on St. John with a positive outlook and a sharp, earthy sense of humor. Kelly has what people refer to as a "full body smile," and when she grins, which is often during our conversation, it seems to spread down to her toes, lighting her up. She laughs easy and hers is not a frivolous twitter, but a deep, throaty chuckle that is the music of life experience. Like a good Irish girl, Kelly uses her sense of humor and her ability to laugh as both a remedy and a weapon against life's slings and arrows. She knows she's strong because she's still here, and she can still find the humor and joy in the life she's living. Anyone who has known Kelly for a few years can attest to her strength. In 2004, she lost her husband, the love of her life, Steve Krall, to a massive heart attack. There's no way to anticipate such an occurrence, and Kelly was devastated. But Kelly is a survivor, and she has found a way to go on living without Steve while keeping his memory alive in her. She speaks of their relationship without regret, and, when she speaks of Steve, it's clear that their love lives on. Kelly's the first to admit how much of an influence Steve had on her,It was the first time she'd ever been to St. John, and her two weeks here would change her life forever. "We had the time of our lives. It was just so islandy then. I remember how great the people were. I remember waking up one morning with the camera floating in the dinghy and a major hangover and saying to my brother,