Celebration at Sea

blessings, Celebrations, Family, Gratitude 1 Minute

My Dad is 84 and still seizing the day. He is an attorney and still working full time as he has for the past 60 years. A last minute celebration of the milestone manifested.

Dad called me the week of March 15 and said, “I’m cruising out of Galveston on March 24, and Liz is going.” Liz is my sister. She works for my dad. “Do you want to come along?”

Well, duh. My only hesitation was over a little surgery I would be having the week before embarkation. Surely a week of healing at home would be enough.

Kody was tied down at work, my brother-in-law, too, so Liz and I would share a room and some good sister-time. Our ship would be a healing sanctuary at sail across the Caribbean for me.

Liz, Dad, and I pulling into Cozumel, Mexico
Vast waters and the sunrise over Aruba
Alto Vista Chapel on Good Friday, Aruba
Rotating footbridge Willemstad, Curaçao
Mambo Beach, Curaçao
Port of St. John’s, Antigua
Jets landing just past Maho Beach, Sint Maarten
Communion for Easter service on the boat
Not a bad bedroom view
And like that, the sun rose over Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From the ship to the airport to home.

Dad told lots of great stories. Once a firecracker always a firecracker, but those are his stories to tell. My big sister logged it all by audio. And as often happens here, I feel grateful—for family, health, time, and an awe-inspiring world.

Published by Crystal Byers

When I was young, my dad would always say, "Crystal, you can choose your attitude." One day I chose to believe him.

Published

82 thoughts on “Celebration at Sea”

  2. Good to see you enjoy the beach and aircraft, seems like life is wonderful if you grab surprise holidays with family and celebrate it like a kid 😀

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  3. What a lovely way to recuperate and celebrate Easter. We spent most of Easter in the Charlotte airport after our plane from San Diego was delayed for two hours, causing us to miss the last plane to Charlottesville.

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    1. Lots to celebrate! Airport delays are a bummer. I had a couple of flight options home today. 1) Leave earlier, change planes along the way, arrive late or 2) hang out in airport for 8 hours waiting for the direct flight and arrive home at the same time as other option. First world problems, right, Pat?

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      1. Absolutely. Not a huge fan of overly long airport delays, but most of them have someplace to sit, something to eat or drink sufficient restrooms, and multiple choices on what to do next unless it is a major weather delay.

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  5. Hi Bella…
    So glad you got away….
    Loved the pics—thanks for sharing your cruise with all of us….LUL 💞
    Sent from my iPhone

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  6. What a wonderful impromptu surprise vacation and on a cruise ship no less. How fabulous Crystal. Sounds like it was the perfect recovery and a beautiful time with your loved one. Love all the pics. Hugs, C

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  7. Thank you for sharing your lovely cruise with your Dad and sister with us all, Crystal. Hope the Joy of the experience greatly enhanced your recovery! Sending the sweetest of Blessings and very much Love, Betty. 💞

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  9. Crystal, this post fills me with joy. What a perfect, perfect thing for your father to have thought of! Fun, relaxation, new sights, lots of love to go around, memories to enjoy over and over again.

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  13. This is wonderful. What a joyful experience to spend time with family and learn all those stories. I grew up around lawyers, married one, and they have the best stories. 

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  15. Oh my! I’m so happy for you that you were able to make it. And your dad – wow! He looks great! He’s the same age as both my parents. My mom’s in horrible shape. My dad, however, is doing well. He’s retired on his large property in Wisconsin and is always working outside on the land. Even in winter!

    Lovely photos. What great fun! 🚢

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  17. So glad you had some family time. And it sounded like a peaceful time for healing. Such beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing a bit of paradise with us. 💕

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  18. Cheerful blog post Crystal. Reading this post has made me to see the importance of family. Your father has really lived, not many men like him reach the age of 84

    Enjoy and celebrate as much as possible. My birthday is on the way too💖😊💯💯🙌

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  20. Crystal, I can see how this rendezvous refreshed the spirits from your encounter with your father and sister. Your Dad exhibits a blessed take on his life journey, which reminds me of my own father at 88 years young.

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    1. Good morning, Richard! To be 84…88, I can’t exactly imagine, but I know my dad makes it seem like no big deal. And in my experience, I don’t feel that much different at 54 than 24. Hopefully wiser. Thanks for visiting!

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      1. A beautiful blessing for you and your readers. 💞 Thank you so much, Cheryl. Side note to you my dancing friend – I learned this morning that a fellow NIA dancer from my Tucson tribe passed. Life is precious! Let’s never miss the opportunity to dance. 🤗

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  24. Your dad looks great. It never gets old listening to those old family stories. I’m happy you could enjoy this special time with your family, Cheryl.

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  30. Good for you, Crystal! How wonderful to take this trip with your dad and sister. I love that your sis captured audio of your dad telling stories, that’s going to be a gift that keeps on giving!

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  31. Naturally, not every event takes on special significance; in fact, most don’t. However, how magical is it this amazing surprise happened at just the moment we celebrate opportunity and rebirth, both in the spiritual sense, of course, and in humming alongside nature’s renewed vigor?

    It’s affirmation, Crystal, events coincide with your trajectory and that the Divine Universe endorses your narrative. Had events not proceeded as they did over the last couple years, would you and your family have celebrated your great news so magnificently, and at just the perfect moment?

    Look at all of you – Mom obviously talked Someone into pulling a few strings! She wanted this cruise at least as much as you and yours did.

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    1. Magical, surprising, celebratory, spiritual. It’s like you read my mind because there was too much for me to wrap my head around while sitting in the airport and writing this post via phone. Perhaps there will be a follow-up…maybe not.

      I spent early Easter morning on the balcony with the ocean breeze and the sunlit sea and played Amazing Grace from my phone. Mom and God were there.

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      1. Shiver me timbers! Your Dad paid for only three passages, yet you brought along a fourth. You utter pirates. 

        Someday, you’ll have to ask Mom how thrilling it was to be a stowaway.

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