Palm Beachers this week will once again gather Thursday around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends — whether at home or a restaurant — to celebrate the holiday.
And this year, many Palm Beachers have much to be thankful for.
Certainly not the least of those blessings is that the Atlantic hurricane season did not hurl a storm directly at the island, although the town’s beaches took a beating with strong surf associated with deadly Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean.
But there are plenty of other things worthy of gratitude, even in a country where political divisions remain deep and unsettling.
Palm Beach over the past year has again found itself in the world’s spotlight, thanks to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and — perhaps more important to locals — to his residence at Mar-a-Lago. He likely will spend several days this week at his private club, according to air-traffic alerts.
The town’s raised profile because of Trump’s presence on the island — along with a strong stock market, a favorable tax climate for affluent homebuyers, and other factors — has continued to provide momentum for real estate sales, Palm Beach’s largest industry.
Property values have, in turn, continued to rise, for which many of those who live in Palm Beach can be grateful. Even with the logistical challenges associated with the remarkable influx of new residents over the past few years, Palm Beach continues, for many, to represent a piece of paradise.
And those new residents offer a chance for longer-term residents to make new friends and extend business contacts. The town has always been filled with smart, sophisticated, generous and successful people. That’s one of the reasons it attracts so many similar residents.
As they mark this Thanksgiving, when much of the national and international news is troubling, Palm Beach residents should find comfort and solace in the things that truly matter.
And for that, they only need to look at those who are gathered around their Thanksgiving tables.
