From my nytimes story “The Island Where People Forget to Die” In 1976, 65 year old Stamatis Moraitis was diagnosed with lung cancer and given less than a year to live. After several doctors confirmed the diagnosis, Moraitis refused treatment and moved back to the blue zone Greek island of Ikaria in #Greece. Stamatis was born there and wanted to be buried with his ancestors. He reconnected with his faith walking to a tiny Greek Orthodox Church near his home. His childhood friends began visiting and they talked for hours, sharing a bottle or two of wine. Moraitis planted vegetables in a small garden even though he thought he wouldn’t be around to harvest them. In the evening, he walked to the local tavern to play tavli (backgammon) with his friends. Over 3 decades later, on a trip to visit his children in the U.S., he tried to return to his doctors to see why he was still alive. “My doctors were all dead,” he said. Moraitis passed away at the age of 102, 36 years after being diagnosed w...