“The Things We Carry,” The New Yorker (2023)

Our fathers met for the first time the week of our wedding. Even though they had completely different experiences growing up on opposite sides of the world, they surprisingly had a lot in common.

They were born the same year. Probably. Jon’s dad, Gil, is a New Englander of Irish decent. My dad, Ken, was born in southern China at a chaotic time when birthdays and years blurred.

They both prefer clothes that often require explanation.