and her life expectancy was less than a year. I stopped everything except caring for my wife. When she was up to it we played cards or else we just talked. A solitary pursuit like reading seemed selfish, like taking away from the limited time we had left.

Then about a six weeks ago, she asked me why I never went to the library (which is across the street from our house. I explained and she said, so read when I'm sleeping. D'uh.

It took me three or four days to take her up on it. I've read ten books since then.