2025 Life Logs, Day 21: Happy Birthday to Sam
Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Cold: Temp 21, Low 11 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Samuel Ellery Goldstone, my first-born grandchild, thus my oldest, turned 18 today. He was born on a day much like today, snow on the ground and very cold. But what I can’t believe is that I have an 18-year-old grandchild. I invited Sam and family to Hibachi Saga in Mashpee for Sam’s birthday dinner and we all had a great time. Sam was adamant that we not let the staff know it was his birthday as he did not want everyone singing Happy Birthday. About the time he made that very clear, which we totally respected, everyone at a different grill started singing Happy Birthday to disco music and flashing disco lights. The birthday person had on a hat with flashing candles. It was raucous and looked like a lot of fun, but Sam still said no. There was one other couple sitting with us around our grill. As Sam was pointing out that it should be obvious why he didn’t want anyone to know it was his birthday, the young man at our table announced that this was his 28th birthday week, and he certainly didn’t want to be deprived of the disco celebration. I don’t know how the staff found out it was also Sam’s birthday, maybe from the other birthday guy, but after dinner two birthday hats were distributed to the birthday guys at our grill and we had our turn singing Happy Birthday to the disco music and lights, flashing candle hats and all. The other birthday guy made it so much fun that I don’t think Sam really minded. The whole evening was filled with fun and good food. A perfect birthday dinner.
Sam opened his gifts when we got home. This year, every gift came in an envelope. It was a money birthday. I contributed money for a Eurail Summer Pass for Sam’s graduation trip with friends to tour Europe for 19 days. They are flying to Zurich, Switzerland, and then to Prague in the Czech Republic. From there, they will go by rail to Strasbourg in Austria, Freiburg in Germany, Maastricht in the Netherlands, Paris in France, Torino in Italy, and then to a yet determined destination from where they will fly home. The four boys that are going have planned this trip to be a combination of visiting World War II sites of interest interspersed with hiking in the Black Forest and hanging out in beautiful places. They have put a lot of thought in to the planning.
So even though I am still struggling with the fact that I have an 18-year-old grandchild who will be graduating from high school, going to Europe on a summer adventure, and then going away to college, at the same time, it fills me with pride to watch this process. Happy Birthday, Sam!
