She had taken to reading him the Bible. He seemed to enjoy it, even commenting occasionally on this passage or that. They had always been members of a church. Sunday morning had been a pleasant ritual since the very early days of their marriage. Oh, they had seen their share of congregational troubles, and listened to more than their allocation of boring sermons but still they went, sometimes whispering silent prayers for divine intervention to stir things up a bit.

Sunday mornings provided a kind of rhythm to their lives that sustained them when nothing else could. Pointing to the Bible, he urged her to keep reading and so she did.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Of course, she began to cry.

Once they had taken a trip. A marvelous vacation. Throwing all caution to the wind, they spent far more than they could afford and had more fun than they ever could imagine. They were young lovers again, in love not just with each other but with all the world.

The memories sustained her now as she watched her lover wither away. She prayed they sustained him as well.

Lately, she had begun to sing to him. Quietly, of course, but with deep feeling. She sang every song she knew, even going way back to when she was a little child.

"Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong."

The first time she sang that one was difficult because she found herself choking up but now she sang it to him several times each day. He liked it, she could tell. She liked it, too.

Sometimes she would nap at the foot of his bed, reaching out to hold one of his hands. She didn’t sleep soundly but that was fine. It was enough just to be there with him. In the evening, after all the trays with their half-eaten meals had been picked up and the lights in the hall were dimmed, she got up from the bed, collected her things, put on her shoes and, more than a little reluctantly, returned to their home, alone. Bending over him for that good night/goodbye kiss, she whispered again of her love. Tears came but there was no anger or regret, just deep gratitude over a life well-shared and profound sadness now that it was drawing to a close.