“To feel gratitude
and not express it
is like wrapping a gift
and not giving it.”
William Arthur Ward

It’s Monday morning, July 7th. We’re heading back to our home in San José today with hearts filled with gratitude. These past ten days have been a true gift to both Kathy and me. 

Our week on the American Star, as I’ve mentioned previously, exceeded all expectations. We were blessed with excellent accommodations, an impressive team of crew members, and the opportunity to meet a number of inspiring people from around the country who were also enjoying the cruise. We could not have asked for a better experience.

We arrived in Bristol, Rhode Island on the Fourth of July, greeted by my friend and high school classmate Steve Aveson. He escorted us to his home, just a short walk from the pier where our ship had docked. There, we met up with Steve’s wife, Karen, his daughter, Olivia, and a couple from Baltimore (one of whom is the granddaughter of Ogden Nash) who were also staying at the Aveson home for the weekend. After dropping our bags off in the guest cottage, we headed down the block to Hope Street to experience the oldest Fourth of July parade in the country. What an amazing experience!

Yesterday, we spent the day sightseeing with Steve, Karen, and Olivia. Bristol is a tight-knit community where people not only know each other, but seem to genuinely care about each other. Walking through town with Steve, I felt as though I was walking with the mayor. It seemed that everyone knew Steve and Steve knew everyone. I wasn’t surprised. That’s just how he is. His outgoing personality, his engaging smile, and his attentiveness to each person he encounters enables him to navigate the streets of Bristol with confidence and charisma. 

Karen, too, has the gift of hospitality. Ever attentive to the needs of her friends and guests, she has a way of making everyone feel very much “at home.” She and Steve make a great team.

Later this morning, Steve will drive us to the airport in Providence and Olivia to the train station in Providence, where she’ll catch a train back to her home in Manhattan. 

It can be quite a challenge to express one’s gratitude when they have been absolutely overwhelmed with hospitality and graciousness. That’s how I feel this morning. There’s no way I can adequately express how grateful I am this morning, but I’m pretty sure that both Steve and Karen know. For them, treating others the way they’ve treated us these past few days is commonplace. For us, being welcomed into the home of friends and into a warm, welcoming community like Bristol is a rare occasion for which we are incredibly grateful.

Our bags are packed and we’re ready to go — happy to be going home, yet regretful to be leaving this amazing town and our incredibly hospitable hosts.