So Begins the Season

My excitement is rising as each day brings us closer to Contraband Days. The "Ladies of Lafitte" are busying themselves in preparation for the pageant. Soon we will crown new queens and invite them into our world. We must also bid farewell to our outgoing queens who have served and represented so well. We never truly say goodbye to our queens. They are forever in our Buccaneer family. The younger ones will return to compete and hopefully win again. Our beloved Miss Contraband always leaves us with a mark on our hearts. We welcome her back year after year to our Past Jean Lafitte Ball. It is so wonderful to see them become successful and accomplished in their lives and to know that we were once a small part of her history.

So this Sunday will be a very busy day! The work will be hard. Yes, I'll be there all day. Yes, I'll be tired. But it is a beautiful and amazing obligation that I am happy to fill. In the end, I'll share a few brief moments getting to know this new queen before she receives her title. She and I, along with the other ladies, will develop a bond. That new bond will carry us into the Contraband season. And it provides me with a small comfort to know that our new queen can relay on the "Ladies of Lafitte" to aid her during this festival. Whether it be ensuring that she has her ear plugs for those gun blasting parades or recognizing the tired look in her eyes as she attempts to keep up with the multitude of activities, we'll be there. Because as everyone knows, we love our Queens!