By Shannon Williams
Birthdays are great fun when we are young, we look forward to a party and being the center of attention and of course the presents, but as we age, they sometimes are just another day or another passing of a year. That was not the case this year for me, as we traveled to Palm Beach Florida for a few days before we got on a cruise ship out of the Fort Lauderdale Port. I have some dear friends who have a second home on Singer Island in West Palm Beach and we were their guest. Tommy and Laurie have been part of my life and all of its ups and downs since the 80’s. They owned a dance studio and had aerobic dance classes. I had just gotten out of college and was working and single and thus went to the 7 pm class each night. It was great fun with some wonderful people. Tommy was also my insurance agent. We shared weddings, births of children all the joys and heartaches of life as we went through them. They have always been my safe port and have been there for not only me but my family. Our children are two years apart, so we traveled together going to Disney World when they were young and other adventures.

We met them at Hobby airport after they flew in from West Texas and flew to Florida together. Within minutes we were all smiling and laughing. They have gotten to know Paul and love him and welcome him into the fold. Once we landed we stopped at a great place for a late lunch of great food. We were introduced to smoked Fish Dip, which is a white fish smoked dip and so good! It was enjoyed as the sun set over the Atlantic ocean. We spent the next several days, eating, drinking, laughing, crying and just being together. The next day was my birthday and they treated me like a queen. A homecooked Breakfast and then off to tour the area. We wanted to go and see the Astro Spring Training facilities and it was really neat, we shall go next year! We stopped for lunch at “The Square Grouper” (which is a term to refer to a bale of pot that has washed ashore!), a little day drinking and snacks were enjoyed. We returned to rest and enjoy the sunset from their 15th floor condo before a night out for my birthday.

We started at a great little place in a courtyard, that was all lit up and felt like you were in some exotic place. We all enjoyed a bowl of Lobster Bisque (one of my favorite foods) and a great dinner. We moved our party to “The Breakers” in Palm Beach. We were totally blown away by this lovely old hotel, which was founded in 1896 by Henry M. Flagler, who was a great industrialist and also built railroads among many other things. It is just breath taking with its European influence and architectural designs. The ceilings are just beyond wonderful, and we were able to get into some of the ballrooms to look up close and enjoy these grand rooms. The entrance has a fountain that was all lit up under the stars. We went to the HMF for a after dinner drink and dessert. Their Key Lime pie is the Flagler family recipe that is over 100 years old. It was to die for, and since I was the birthday girl, I got the last bite of the one we shared, if I had not stuffed myself already I would of ordered another piece.

As the day came to the end, I was full of love, joy and all kinds of good feelings. Getting old has many ups and downs but being with good long-term friends is one of the best ways to celebrate aging. It centers you and reminds one of how blessed they are. It is so easy to lose ourselves in our daily life and all that goes with that, but time spent with good friends is the best birthday present one could get. I have attached a few pictures of some of the highlights… More to come later on the rest of the trip.

[SW: Feb-7-2023]