Several weeks ago, Nina Shapiro wrote a feature on the newly-passed Death with Dignity Act and the difficulty of predicting how long terminally ill patients have to live. Yesterday, The Kitsap Sun published the story of a Kingston man who seemed to time his own demise to match that of his wife’s, as he declared his own condition “terminal” when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and passed away just six hours after she did. A study cited by the story asserts that “[t]here is ample evidence that individuals may subconsciously ordeliberately hasten or postpone their own death by aiming towards apsychologically important date.” Inthe absence of overwhelming evidence, I tend to be a little leery ofthat idea, just because it caters to all sorts of romantic notions. Butit is fascinating, as is the story of the Kingston couple.