MARCH 1, SUNDAY

GERMANY

I have been planning for a year to attend the celebration of Elke and Heinrich Mangels 65th wedding anniversary in Winsen, Germany. Elke was my wife Kathe’s best friend as they grew up together in the village of Winsen sharing stories and singing in the choir together. I lured Kathe away to the USA but they remained close and when the Facetime came along and voice calls and video calls became free they were on the phone together almost every day.

I had written an email to Elke five days earlier to confirm my visit but she didn’t answer. Today I learned that she had been in the hospital in the seaside town of Sylt with a lung infection and had just been brought back home. I also learned that the big anniversary celebration was going to be held in Nuremberg, five hours away and because of Elke’s illness might not happen at all.

What to do? Putting the visit off by six months when all of us are elderly, Heinrich is 95, might be a worse time because of illness or my not being able to travel. My daughter Susie has agreed to come with me. I had extra Delta miles and had reserved a place to stay so that Susie’s trip would not cost anything. She is looking for a job and if she finds one she might not be able to go in six months.

I have been looking for a $550 ticket for three months and haven’t found one. The ticket price will go up if dither around. So I spent part of the day trying to find a cheaper way to Germany.

I didn’t know what to do.