Lost December PROLOGUE A ninety-year-old man went to confession. "Father," he said, "I left my wife and ran off with a thirty-year-old woman." The priest said, "That's terrible, but I don't recognize your voice. Are you a member of this parish?" The old man replied, "No. I'm not Catholic." "Then why are you telling me this?" The priest asked . "I'm ninety years old," the old man replied, "I'm telling everyone." There are those who share their stories of waywardness with false shame and fond recollection--a misplaced pride in past misdeeds. I am not that fool. I share my story for your benefit, not mine. On my part, I feel nothing but shame and gratitude. Shame for the people I hurt and gratitude that they didn't desert me when I most deserved it. It has been said that sometimes the greatest hope in our lives is just a second chance to do what we should have done right in the first place. This is the story of my second chance. Excerpted from Lost December: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
