Q2: Why are ordinary wishes—like wanting family to be okay—often the most profound at the end of life?
Because they reveal what survives when ambition, reputation, and fear fall away. Ordinary wishes reflect ultimate values: safety, continuity, love. They are the distilled truth of a life once complexity is stripped back.
Q3: What does it mean to love with a “soft heart and firm spine” in the face of illness?
It means remaining tender without collapsing, realistic without becoming bitter. A soft heart keeps compassion alive; a firm spine preserves dignity and purpose. Together, they allow a person to meet hardship without surrendering meaning.
