My dad passed away a month before a booked trip to Costa Rica. Desperately needing distraction, we hoped returning to a familiar place that held no ties to him would help us heal. Though it felt good to get away, it provided no escape.

Revisiting our favourite places felt somehow different. We opted to walk through a rainforest we had yet to explore, hoping the change would provide fresh perspectives. Our guide, an older man with visible tremors, introduced himself and revealed he had Parkinson’s, the same disease that devastated my dad.

The final blow was learning that the last Sunday of our trip was Father’s Day. We decided to mark it (and not hide from it) and so arranged to plant a tree. We selected a local sapling and a serene location up high on a cl...

Please subscribe to keep reading.