This past week I had lunch with a couple from my neighborhood. I got to know them about a year ago while I was out for a walk and immediately liked their company. They met K only once, on a day I took her out in a wheel chair to get some fresh air and take in the wonderful landscape of our community.

Over lunch the husband, H, told me about a fight he waged, a number of years ago, with a large cancerous tumor in his throat. His tales of having to suffer through chemotherapy and radiation were frightening and heartbreaking. The upside was that it all worked. He actually beat back the cancer and is still living, and I have to say looking quite healthy. At 70 plus years he looks younger than me.