Story Introduction: I turned 73 last Tuesday. Most men my age would be proud. I had spent my life transforming my grandfather’s humble construction company into a sprawling empire that stretched across three states. But what good was any of it when I sat alone at my mahogany dining table, staring at a cake with no one to share it?
I had called my son Gregory, my daughter Caroline, their spouses, and all five of my grandchildren to invite them to celebrate my birthday. Yet, one by one, they all answered with excuses. They were too busy to spend one evening with me.
That night, sitting alone in my study nursing a glass of scotch, I thought about what I could do to finally get their attention.