The Unexpected

I thought moving to L.A. would be tough. I did not think that on the day I arrived, my father would be in the intensive care unit with a massive infection in his throat, face and neck. But that is what happened. Matt and I spent one day and night in Los Angeles -- mostly observing the plastic surgery victims who populate The Grove shopping mall -- then we drove to the desert where my dad is hospitalized. And suddenly I am talking to nurses and leaving messages for doctors and helping my dad. This is most unexpected.

When I moved to New York at age 22, I lamented that my parents were not around to help me. If I had been living closer to them, they would have bought me furniture and fed me home-cooked meals sometimes. Instead, I did it all on my own. Now, 13 years later, my parents are the ones who need help. And I am here to do it.