LOS ANGELES—In a move relieving his firstborn of the mounting stress associated with the pursuit of his life’s ambition, ailing father Gideon Albright selflessly offered his son, aspiring writer Julian, 27, the perfect excuse to move back home and give up on his dreams. “My father’s diagnosis was tangible proof that when you really need to relinquish control—and therefore responsibility—over what you’re doing with your life, the universe will deliver. This is exactly what I needed to finally stop struggling with my novel,” said Albright, expressing feelings of deep relief that he would be giving up his apartment for at least a year, and perhaps as many as three if his father’s condition stretched out for a cruel and heartbreakingly long time. “Now, whenever friends ask me how life is in the big city, I can say that for now, I just need to be there for the old man. This is exactly what I needed to hear after driving myself crazy with anxiety and self-doubt.” Julian said his first act upon moving home would be to thank his father for the opportunity while he could still recognize how much it meant.

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