I don’t do book clubs.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the idea of book clubs. But I am a terrible member. The last book club I belonged to was made up of five to six women whom I knew, all bright, articulate, avid readers. A match made in heaven, or so it would seem.

The very first meeting I attended, when we sat down together to discuss a wildly popular, best selling novel that I loathed, the discussion went something like this:

Member 1: “Loved it.”

Member 2: “Great characters.”

Member …

I just returned from speaking to a blood cancer support group in Atlanta. The patients, survivors, and caregivers in attendance were amazing--kind, caring, and self aware. Why were they there? The food? The companionship? To learn more about their cancer and hear me speak? Yes! They came for all those reasons and more.

The bottom line: Everyone felt better after they left (including me) than they did before the meeting started. I left tonight's meeting with a bounce in my step.

It had been a long day of cleaning the …