My wife Ilka and I had planned a trip to Europe for many months. At first we thought about going to the southwest of France, but finally we settled on Paris. I investigated every aspect of the City of Light through books, America Online, and the Internet. I compiled tourism agendas and restaurant lists a mile long. I rented an apartment advertised in a Parisian magazine. Our stay would be for a month, and we were excited about going. But I was worried about my Dad.

My mother had died eight months earlier. After 64 years of marriage, my 90-year-old father was not doing well. He missed my mother greatly. He lived alone in a retirement home after her passing, but he did not thrive in that environment. I felt badly about leaving, but the trip had been planned for a long time.

My parents had b...

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