I’m eighty today, and I decided the only proper way to celebrate was on the deck of a cruise ship with the salt air in my lungs and a glass in my hand. I walked up to the bar and ordered a Scotch with exactly two drops of water. The bartender, noticing my birthday button and the bright smile I haven’t lost yet, slid the glass across the counter and told me the drink was on the house. It was the perfect start to a milestone night, proving that even at eighty, the world still has a few free drinks left for you if you know how to ask.

As I sat there savoring the first sip, the quiet lounge started to feel more like a living room. A woman nearby overheard my age and immediately ordered me another, followed quickly by a gentleman who wanted to toast to “many more.” To both, I gave the same meticulous instruction: Scotch, two drops of water. We spent the next hour trading travel stories and favorite memories, the kind of easy conversation that only happens when the ocean is the only thing on the schedule and strangers decide to become companions.

By the time the bartender served my third glass, his curiosity had finally bubbled over. He leaned across the counter with a grin and asked why a woman who clearly knew her way around a bottle of Scotch was so insistent on only two drops of water. I chuckled, feeling the humor of a long life sparkling in my eyes, and told him the truth. At my age, I’ve learned to enjoy life’s pleasures with a bit of strategy; I still appreciate the sting of a good Scotch, but if I add any more water, I’ll be spending the whole night walking back and forth to the powder room.

Age might change the way you drink, but it doesn’t have to change the reason you celebrate.