Ari Diaconis knew a bright future lay ahead of him. He was a gifted athlete with a well-paying job at a Wall Street law firm, and a partner, Dunia, with whom he shared a deep connection. But a neurological illness shifted his vision for the path ahead and shined a spotlight on the present — snuggles in bed and time spent in their apartment — a life raft from the city downstairs. In 2018, Ari died. After we hear his story, we chat with Ari’s younger sister, Alix, about their 3,000-mile bike trip across the country and on learning to protect someone who once protected us.
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Anna Martin: From The New York Times,
I'm Anna Martin.
This is Modern Love.
In this week's essay,
Ari Diaconis writes from a place of deep physical pain.
He has a chronic illness,
and he's trying to figure out
what his future looks like,
with the career he's put on hold,
the daily chores he can barely manage,
and the woman he really loves
but can't show up for anymore.
His essay is read by MacLeod Andrews.
[MUSIC]
Macleod Andrews: The wristwatch collection at the Tourneau showroom
on 57th Street fills four stories.
I was on the ground floor at the Rolex booth.
The salesman fit a black–faced Datejust around my wrist.
'The Datejust is the classic Rolex,' he said,