A River Between Generations: Reflections on Time, Care, and Legacy

The Cruise

A river cruise in Europe was intriguing, but I must admit my bias, as marketing suggests Dave and I were younger than the usual demographic. But I cherished and appreciated the intimacy, simplicity, sense of calm, and well-organized itineraries provided by Viking River Cruises. Most of all, the staff on this ship provided such personalized and kind service; we were spoiled every moment. Perhaps it is because most passengers are senior in age, and because of the Viking commitment to their customers, the pace and feel were truly healing and inspired much reflection and many authentic connections for us with our parents. With only 195 passengers per long ship, Dave would tell you that, typical of Julie Wei, by a few days into the journey, I knew the names of and connected with the captain, maître d’, servers, cabin housekeeping staff, bartender, program director, and others. In addition, I befriended other passengers. I chose October, not realizing just how lucky we would be to see the palette of every autumn leaf color, from Amsterdam on the day we arrived, in every port we visited, (Rüdesheim, Cologne, Speyer, Strasbourg, Colmar, Black Forest, Breisach), and across the amazing rolling hills on the way to the Swiss Alps and Lake Brienz (private day tour I arranged when we got off the cruise in Basel).

I rarely eat two or even three meals a day; however, during the cruise, this was almost cursory (yes, I am three pounds up)! Each mealtime became routine but special, not only because of the great food and being served and pampered, but also because we got to sit down every morning with our parents to start the day. Then again, for lunch and dinner. At every meal, we shared laughter, small talk, and stories from our day or our past. Such joy was shared all over the single dining room on the ship, amidst others who were also traveling with friends and families. Food, family, and travel, perhaps the greatest intersection of LOVE we all experience, is shared across cultures and geography. I was constantly reminded of the immense gratitude I felt that we were blessed as a family, to be on the Rhine, on this ship, to enjoy all three parents at once.

The Cathedrals, Stones, and the Clock

Every time I have the privilege to see a cathedral in a European city, I am in awe of the human ingenuity and grit, along with the reality of politics, human labor, and suffering reflected in these stunning architectures and what they represent. On a cold, gray morning, we walked across the bridge over the Rhine to see the Köln Cathedral, a bridge heavy with thousands of locks representing love from previous visitors.