My heart is full from an entire weekend of celebrating a childhood friend. Seventy of us from all ages and stages of his life were present. From ages 13 to 80, we all arrived from different pockets of the globe to sing Happy Birthday to a 50 year old Kenny.
As we mingled, laughed, and caught up, I thought about the true measure and wealth of a life well lived. It all came down to the relationships, made, nurtured, and maintained over a lifetime.
Friendships grow us in places that family and work can’t. I think because it’s an unspoken agreement with the simple luxury of choice. We choose our friends, and they choose us and the dance weaves through highs, lows, and in between…anchoring us in with memories, loyalty, and stability.
Doing the Carolina Shag to “Carolina Girl” at the Beach House.
Enjoying the Birthday Party at the Beach House
Many of us stayed at the beautiful HYATT house™ Ft. Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port in Dania, Florida near the spectacular beaches of Ft. Lauderdale and it’s majestic cruise port. It was the perfect place to stay because each room has separate living spaces with full kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms. So it felt like a cozy place to live for the weekend. We visited each other’s spacious rooms for hours without having to sit, eat, and gather on the beds.
We also enjoyed catching up while working out in the gym, while others met and swam in the pool.
The night of the party, while we got dressed and wrapped gifts, others enjoyed the complimentary wines, cheeses and savory bites downstairs at HYATT house’s Evening Social. I felt grateful for these guests that booked flights and rearranged their crazy schedules to honor my childhood friend, Kenny.
As we gathered the last morning to enjoy another delicious breakfast (complimentary, of course, at HYATT house), we continued to share our stories of how we met Kenny and the escapades he took us on.
Soon, we walked Kenny to the convenient shuttle in the hotel lobby that would drop him off for his cruise.
As he gave his last hug, Kenny looked back at us and said, “I expect this again next year!” We laughed until we cried. The shuttle pulled away and we screamed, “Have a great cruise!”
I’m honored to be working with HYATT house this summer and was given a night free of charge in order to do this review.
