South Florida 2024

This past May, over Memorial Day weekend, the girls and I took the opportunity to fly to South Florida to make a quick but meaningful visit to see family. Our first stop was to see Nana. It had been 10 months since she moved to an ALF and a visit was overdue. It was a hard adjustment for us all and now that she was stable, I wanted to see her in person and the girls also wanted to see their grandmother.

Because Nana’s condo is now rented, we had to rent a hotel for our time there. I found a small but cute airbnb in Palm Beach, a short drive to where Nana now lives. We picked up Nana the morning after our late arrival and hung out at the pool for several hours in the pool. We made a photo stop at the beach and took Nana to dinner with her friends. Nana is not able to see her yenta posse that often these days so it was nice see then all at our favorite Italian restaurant in the area. We ate, laughed and shared photos with each other, while we caught up with each others lives. 

On our second and last morning, we took Nana to a local nature park. It was hot as heck and she opted to sit on a bench in shade while the girls and I walked the path in search of alligators and other wildlife in the wetlands. It was hot but we were thrilled for the sun and blue skies. And, we spotted two gators.

We left for the Miami earlier to meet the girls Tia’s Kimberly and Felicia and their great Aunt Martica. Tia Martica brought her daughter and grandkids. Amara and I had met the grandkids (our cousins) for the first time last summer but I had not yet met my first cousin Andrea yet. I was very much looking forward to that. Havana had not yet met any of these relatives so that it was a big event. 

We all got rooms in the same residence hotel near Tia Felicia’s in Coconut grove. Because it was roasting, we opted to hang out at the pool, after a visit to the local farmers market. It was the perfect way to get acquainted, reacquainted, and to share a relaxing time with each other.

We did have a short visit with my bio dad. We are not the closest but it is important for me to see him. Our relationship is complex but he and I are very similar, in the good, bad and ugly. But with us all getting older and life getting shorter, it is important to see him, for the girls to spend time with him because he is our bio father/grandfather.

We ended our last night sharing a most yummy dinner in the grove. It is such a blessing to be with family, to have good food with laughter and love.

The girls and I had to get up early on Monday for our 9 am flight. Of course, we stopped for bagels before we headed to the airport. Our time was in Florida was short but full; our hearts filled with new memories and expanded with love.