When I threw a party in Italy to celebrate my 40th birthday, it felt like the start of a new chapter. Watching my dad attempt conversation with my partner’s family across the language barrier, and my nephew playing with his nephew, I felt a joy I hadn’t known since before my mom died.
A year earlier, we’d decided to move to Italy to be near my partner’s parents, who are older than my dad. After years in Spain, where we met, it felt like the responsible choice.
Learning from my mother’s death (I hadn’t seen her for two years when she died because of the pandemic), I encouraged him to spend time with them while he still could. I didn’t think my…
