Widower finds love in making craft

After losing his common-law wife Arlene Thompson to cancer in 2018, Ralston Myles started viewing life in a different light.

The 73-year-old revealed that he was often consumed by stress, had thoughts of giving up on life, and was no longer motivated to do his usual farming activities, his livelihood. He and Thompson were together for 42 years. But in 2020, Myles would have found a new love in carving, and this is what has been keeping him sane.

"My babymother death overflow the pain in my heart, so that's why I run to these things (carving) and say, 'All right, they will comfort and keep me alive'," Myles told THE STAR.

Myles shared 12 children with Thompson. Myles, however, revealed that his newly found love of craft requires just as much affection as his past soulmate.

I still miss my woman

"I love the carving because it relax me, and when I do it I just concentrate on making the patterns good. When me doing the carving, it takes my mind off certain stuff because I spend time on it," he said. "I still miss my woman, but I'm happy that I find something to make me feel better."

Since he abandoned farming, Myles spends his days doing carvings from mostly dried coconut shells and when he has a chance, he sells them to tourists at attractions close to his Content, St Elizabeth home.

"I only use a knife to carve them, and then I have another little thing I push through them, so I haul through strings for the ones like to go 'round the neck and hand," Myles explained. "I build and carry to YS Hotel (also in St Elizabeth), or sometimes me carry them to Negril, and the tourists love them."

He added: "But since the corona me 'fraid to go on the beach. Me say me nah go out yet until me get good results about the COVID."

Myles revealed that he is self-taught and he believes that finding this trade is the best thing that has happened to him.

"No one show me how to make these things but the Almighty, because me just get up one day and say me a go make them and me even surprise say me can make them so good. Me happy say me take it on too, because a it me use fi be happy, because me loved one leave and it mash me up bad," he said