As "sharp" as many of our minds are, especially those of us in our 70s, 80s and 90s...and possibly 100s...we realize the "sharpness" is sometimes dulled by occurrences we find it frustrating to experience or explain. The simplest explanation for some is "It's part of the aging process." For others, including yours truly, sometimes we stubbornly don't like that explanation and are determined to not admit to any mental performance inadequacies. The latter scenario is easier said than done, more of the time than we'd wish.
 
In regard to misplacing things, those who are experts in dealing with forgetfulness say it's "normal" at almost any age. Having been fortunate enough to have been exposed the past couple years to some studies about dementia (and Alzheimer’s), I learned if one forgets, for instance, where one has placed one's keys, it's not even close to being dementia. What IS close to identifying dementia is forgetting one even HAS keys. That, indeed, would be a red flag, to say the least and definitely worthy of expert professional help.
 
In regard to paranoia, it's a very disheartening, sad and very debilitating part of the human condition. It's also a close cousin to dementia's progression. When one becomes paranoid, the fears are almost always unfounded in reality, but our minds sometimes play very bad tricks with otherwise rational thinking. Many of us have had "mind games" develop. Those "games" may have sometimes led to suspicions about the actions of others, be they friends, acquaintances or just people in general. Those perceptions have most often no basis in reality and could, of course, lead to irrational and possibly dangerous reactive behavior. Once again, when one feels paranoia has overtaken rational thinking and behavior, it's common sense to want to seek professional help. 
 
Regarding dementia, we hear about it almost daily, but sometimes confuse it with Alzheimer’s disease. Two of my family members passed away from Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia (60 to 80 percent of cases, according to AARP’s Kathleen Fifield). In simplest terms, dementia is a non-reversible decline in mental function. Areas included in dementia are disorientation, disorganization, language impairment and memory loss, while Alzheimer’s (again, a form of dementia) slowly and irreversibly destroys memory and thinking skills.

or much more information about this subject, I respectfully defer to Ebenezer's Marysue Moses, MA, an expert specialist regarding the subject of dementia, its identification and treatment. Ms. Moses is Ebenezer's Dimensions Program Coordinator. You can read her helpful memory care blogs right here, or email her at mmoses1@fairview.org. Contacting and possibly visiting with Marysue would be, in my opinion, one of the most important contacts and visits one could ever make in regard to learning more about dementia and using that education to help better deal with the lives of those affected.
 
Thank you for reading, as always.

How to enjoy the company of friends, keep active and socialize with those around you. 
 I hope you're having a happy summer. I hope every season is happy for you, but summer, of course, is the time we're most prone to be connected with others because the warmer weather makes our sojourns and visits more comfortably "do-able." Even those of us lucky enough to be in "the public eye" are sometimes hopeful we'll be able to just visit and chat about anything as pedestrian as the weather. Wait a minute! What am I writing here? Just teasing, of course, about the weather, one of my favorite subjects that's propelled me to the honor and privilege of communicating weekly via these blogs. But, seriously, we know human beings are all social creatures. In my opinion, we truly need to communicate with others, having even a modicum of interaction in order to feel relevant individually and collectively.
 
Regardless of one's "position" on the social or status "ladder", even those on the highest rungs have the need to need and interact with one another. One of the most powerful examples of that need, in my opinion, focuses on the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Raised in Patrician privilege and wealth, President Roosevelt nonetheless also had special needs after he contracted polio. Regardless of one's politics, seeing him in newsreels and photos bound to a wheelchair during this country's (and world's) most crucial times, he nonetheless showed us inner strength that catapulted him to being elected four times. During his final days, housed at the "winter White House" in Warm Springs, Georgia, again regardless of his power and independent wealth, it's been chronicled (more than once) he would often literally cry and cry-out, because of his loneliness. Indeed, even though incapacitated, he did have the requested company of his most sought-after friend, Lucy Mercer, during his final days, including the day he passed away, April 12, 1945. 
 
Did President Roosevelt's omnipotent stature, in every realm, replace his need for interaction and companionship? No, of course not, as illustrated during his final days of life. It, to me, illustrates no matter how "important" or "powerful" we are, we still all need each other and unless one has been so turned off by society and become a hermit, interacting socially with others is among the most important parts of being a human being. In my opinion, we should treasure all the times we're blessed with the opportunity to share stories, play games, take walks, watch favorite television shows and movies, with at least one other person. I've had many "alone times" in my life and they definitely were not the best times.
 
In my opinion, we should cherish the socialization available to us in our later years. Ebenezer's communities, now approaching 100 in number, provide that ongoing socialization opportunity and everyday catalyst for social interaction. Enjoy the summer. Enjoy the company of others. That company will definitely enrich your later years with more happiness and even, possibly, keep your mind in the learning lane. We should never stop learning and socializing with others will keep us in that "lane". 
 
Thanks for reading, as always.

What the news used to be and how it's evolved today
 
The news and the news business itself have always been a major part of my life. I was, to a degree, born into the broadcast news business, thanks to my second cousin, Cecil Brown, who was a significant part of what news used to be.
 
Cousin Cecil was one of Edward R. Murrow's "boys" as a war correspondent in London during World War Two, hired by Murrow shortly after a British ship, the HMS Repulse, was torpedoed in the South China Sea, aboard which Cecil was reporting for radio and newspapers during the torpedo attack, ten days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Murrow heard about cousin Cecil's near life-ending experience and offered him the London-based job with Murrow's CBS News operation there. Among the other "boys" with whom Cecil worked were Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid.
 
When I was a teenager in the 1950s in New York, Cecil, his wife Martha, my mother (raised with Cecil in Pittsburgh) and I would spend many private times together discussing the news and also listening to Cecil's commentaries on the ABC radio network. He was also ABC-TV’s first anchorman, in 1953. Cecil, now long-deceased, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

​He concluded his professional years as Professor of Communication Arts at Cal Poly Pomona in southern California. In sum, he was a consummate and highly respected professional in the news business. I was blessed to have his tutelage, which would serve me well when I anchored news on both radio and television as part of my broadcast career.
 
News reported in the earliest days of radio and television was spoken and “delivered” with dignity, quality and importance by the newscasters and reporters, but also not sounding “holier than thou”. When they spoke, people listened. They were an inspiration to me and many others who became full-time news broadcasters. That was then, this is, sadly, now.
 
I write "sadly" because, in the late 1940s and early-to-mid 1950s, when CBS started its evening television newscasts with Douglas Edwards and NBC had John Cameron Swayze anchoring each program for 15 minutes, the entire nation stopped to watch and listen. It's not only because television was relatively new (debuting in 1948, nationally), but also because, once again, they were reporting the stories with importance and dignity in their voices. They were followed in the 1960s, through even the 1990s, by similar quality news people who included, in addition to the aforementioned Cronkite and Sevareid, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Frank Reynolds, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel and Sam Donaldson. I was honored to have the late Huntley’s and Jennings’ personal friendships, in addition to the still living Koppel’s and Donaldson’s, with whom I still keep in touch. Today, in my opinion, more television newscasts, including network and cable, don’t seem to reflect that dignity nor evidence the newscasters do their "homework" deeply enough, nor seem to care how they deliver the information. The mispronunciation of words and place-names, plus poorly constructed sentences and disregard for dignity is rampant. Again in my opinion, audiences deserve much more quality to return to news presentations.
 
How did news reporting evolve from dignified to appearing unimportant, why has it been allowed to happen and should it matter? In my opinion, the primary answer to the question includes hiring many anchors/reporters with insufficient life and public communication experience by those currently leading the newsrooms of television and radio. Those leaders and reporters/anchors weren't part of  "the greatest generation" who were raised on news delivered importantly by those who knew how to do so. Again, all the preceding are only my opinions, but I think valid. Do any television anchors currently come close to matching the quality of yesteryear's news reporting? In my opinion, NBC-TV's Lester Holt is the only one of whom I can think. There's still hope!  
 
Thank you, as always, for reading.

A note to Caregivers doing a tough job 
One of the many peace-of-mind benefits of being an Ebenezer Community resident is knowing Fairview Caregiver Assurance is a part of the Ebenezer network and one of the many resources we offer. Fairview Caregiver Assurance helps Caregivers get the support they need to give the best care possible. As the headline notes, Caregivers caring for themselves as individuals is okay.

According to recently published professional journals, making the case for self-care for Caregivers is not only a luxury, but also a basic necessity for the person who cares for others, along with a few ideas to make it happen. Following are some hopefully helpful thoughts in regard to self-care for Caregivers:

Self-care literally and simply means caring for yourself, for your own needs. It’s a critical concept for caregiving. How can you possibly find time to take care of yourself? Even if you could, doing so often feels selfish. Self-care isn’t selfish – it’s critical. You need to maintain your physical, emotional and mental health, or you simply won’t be able to cope.

What Self-Care Is And ISN’T
Self-care has exploded on social media. Posts often talk about special ways to treat yourself, like the following.

• Take a bubble bath
• Treat yourself to a spa day
• Buy some expensive chocolate
• Put aside an evening to watch TV with snacks
• Eat amazing meals
• Listen to music
• Journal
• Meditate or do yoga

These are all amazing ways to do self-care.
But, self-care also exists in the smaller things, in the areas that are less obvious and less dramatic. That type of self-care is often more important. As an example, for people with depression, self-care is often as simple as taking a shower and dressing well each day (regardless of whether you’re going anywhere or not). Doing the housework might be another form of self-care. There are many other examples.

The idea is to focus on your own needs. Those might be physical, social or emotional. Doing this consistently helps you to grow and to cope better. You end up being a more effective self-care giver too. 

Finding Your Balance
There are countless self-care lists out there. They all highlight various things that you should and should not do. This includes ideas like getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night, going for a short walk each day, buying treats, and the like. But, reality isn’t always that straightforward. You need to find approaches that work in your given situation.

For example, getting a full night of sleep is sometimes impossible. One suggestion: Attempt to nap during the day. It isn’t a perfect solution, far from it. But, napping is a form of self-care and one that frequently works.

The same applies to other areas, like exercise. Did you know that even small bouts of exercise add up? It’s true. Exercising for five or ten minutes at a time can have dramatic impacts on your health. This might mean getting up and dancing to your favorite music or taking brisk regular walks around the house. Or, it might mean something entirely different.
But, whatever you do, find your solutions.

Find the versions of self-care that work for you – whatever they happen to look like. And don’t worry about what others might think. Honestly, people judge each other for the weirdest things and you’re never going to please everyone. Focus on your situation and your needs instead.

Thanks for reading, as always.

 (Ebenezer celebrates fathers all around Ebenezer communities on this special day)
 
For me, what it means to be a father has always included the realization of parental responsibilities that include having the children know they're unconditionally loved, protecting them from harm as much as possible, instilling in them awareness of their importance as human beings and providing role-model guidance to teach them right from wrong. They also should know the most significant and heartwarming lifetime occurrence provided ME were their births and subsequent lives, making me so genuinely proud of the two daughters I was blessed to help create.
 
Losing my younger daughter to ovarian cancer at her young age, 54, August 30, 2017, has made each Father's Day since then very bittersweet. I know I'll never be able to accept the fact she's gone and the pain of her loss permanent. I also need to accept the fact she made the world a much better place and was the extraordinarily wonderful human being she was, making EVERY day Father's Day.
 
Aside from that sadness that perpetually permeates, I still have the privilege and joy to know my other child is still alive. She just celebrated her 58th birthday. What maximum reality and epiphany can life bring to a man than being the male-side of being responsible for the creation of a human being? I think the answer is "None".
 
Some additional thoughts about what it means to be a father, at least THIS father:
- Seeing and holding those dear, innocent babies for the first time, it generated being more convinced than ever there's something in this universe far beyond what we can comprehend and are perhaps not supposed to.
- Watching and enjoying the wonderment of the children's development: From crawling to walking to running; from playing with Tinkertoys to blocks to board games; from hearing their joyful sounds emerging while learning to talk to becoming truly articulate adults; from tricycle-riding to bicycle-riding to learning how to drive; from the anticipation of attending young friends birthday parties to birthday parties of their own; from their first days in nursery school to preparation for and graduations from, grade school and high school and all the years of education that encompassed those significant times.
- Experiencing their reactions to what made them happy or motivated them to think more about life while watching live theater productions, television and movies.They truly had me living life vicariously through them during those special growth times. ALL times with them were special and still ARE with my one remaining child/daughter.
- Seeing them emerge from toddlers to children to adults and all the nuances and occurrences that were parts of those years and being so infinitely proud to just BE with them as they developed and became the truly wonderful women and mothers they'd become.
 
It would be impossible, for me, at least, to fully-describe the honor it has been to be the father of the two wonderful daughters who blessed my life. They also blessed me (and their mother, of course), with a total of four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
 
If what I've described in regard to what it means to be a father has been perhaps too sentimental, I respectfully apologize, but what I've written has been honestly, with my heartfelt feelings stated. For any fathers reading this, I think what I've expressed may have covered many of YOUR thoughts, too. Happy Fathers Day and thank you for reading, as always.
 

Ways to stay active and fun things to do during our Minnesota summer.
Happy summer!!! Following the less-than-pleasant winter weather we experienced this year, and the equally less-than-pleasant spring weather (for the Twin Cities, the snowiest April in recorded history. Yikes!), I think we all deserve whatever good weather (and SENIOR SUMMER FUN) this summer can pitch our way.
 
In my opinion, SENIOR summer fun means perhaps a BIT less physical activity for SOME of us, but not all. Common sense dictates we all have to be careful to not fall from our bicycles; to not slip and fall during a tennis match or softball game; to pay more attention to almost everything we do physically, but to not let being more alert ruin or dampen anything we enjoy doing as seniors during the best season of the year for outdoor fun in this part of the country. The only "dampening" we should allow is an outdoor game’s "rainout." Even then, why not dance in the rain, then seek dry shelter quickly! (So there!)
 
"Back in the day", I remember watching seniors playing horseshoes, Bocci Ball, badminton, lawn bowling and volleyball. I think there are many seniors who still participate in those senior summer activities, as well as the aforementioned bicycle riding (even bicycles built for two) and the other aforementioned, tennis. Another senior summer fun activity is, of course, swimming. Even if you have physical restrictions to enjoyment of swimming or any water sports, I think it's still fun to sit on the edge of a pool or lake and just dip your toes into those waters. If you have access to a kayak or canoe, to me there's almost nothing so peaceful as paddling in the calm (and calming) waters of one of our MORE than 10,000 lakes. We have so many varieties of senior summer fun from which to choose, especially in Minnesota. (Iowa, too, for Ebenezer community residents there.)
 
On summer days when outdoor activities might be prohibited by excessive heat, rain and/or thunderstorms, in my opinion it's also fun to avail oneself of a checkerboard or other board games, as well as playing any number of card games that come to mind. Playing those games with fellow Ebenezer community residents also brings smiles on stormy days and makes us appreciate the fact we have the blessings to have so many fun activities, indoors or outdoors, from which to choose and share during this energizing season of the year.
 
(We always have fun things happening at our communities. Just go to an Ebenezer community website and check out their social calendar. Give them a call to join in the fun!)
 
Thank you for reading and be of good cheer! Happy summer, once again! 

​During my youth, one of the perpetual sayings in our household was, "Your health is the most important thing you have." Of course, hearing that from our elders, was verbiage to which some of us didn't pay much attention. Now, in our senior years, we know what they were saying was one hundred percent true. 
 
By the time we reach a certain age, most of us have probably reached stages when we know what to recognize as signals that something happening to us physically isn't quite right, and it's time to visit a doctor or hospital. Above almost every element for good health, especially for us seniors, DAILY EXERCISE is the major key for keeping fit.
 
Recently, however, I saw the following and wanted to share parts of it with you regarding what might help you think a bit more about some out of the ordinary physical occurrences and signals precipitating the need to check further, to wit:
 
“When you see changes in the body, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a certain medical condition,” says Robin Evans, MD, a clinical instructor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, about recognizing subtle or unusual symptoms. “However, a bell should go off in your head to get screened or talk to your doctor.” Our body gives us many signs about a certain health condition. So, if you see something unusual occurring, please visit your doctor, because research shows  early screening could prevent many diseases and even premature death. Here are some: 

Diagonal earlobe crease - Research has associated an earlobe fold with a higher risk of coronary disease, as it may be a sign of blockage in the arteries. 

Bumps on eyelids - Yellowish bumps on your eyelids happen when certain fats build up under the skin. They could indicate that you have elevated cholesterol levels.

Smooth tongue - A smooth, swollen tongue may signal a lack of B12 or iron. This condition could also be a result of low estrogen, such as during menopause, or use of dentures. See your doctor if it lasts longer than 10 days or makes breathing, speaking, or eating difficult. 

Belly button discharge - Yellow, green, or dark-colored discharge in your belly button is likely the result of a fungal, yeast, or bacterial infection. 

Orange hands - Beta-carotene is found in yellow-orange vegetables such as carrots, peaches, and oranges. Excessive consumption can actually turn your skin orange! If this is also accompanied by pain or nausea, you should be prepared for something possibly more serious. 

Spooned nails - A dip in the nail that could hold a drop of water – a condition called koilonychia – could be a sign of iron-deficiency-anemia. Spoon nails can also be associated with heart disease and hypothyroidism. 

Bronzed skin - Darkening skin without sun exposure, is a symptom of Addison’s disease, in which the adrenal glands stop functioning. It can also be caused by medications or excess accumulation of iron. 

Lace-like discoloration on legs - A lace-like pattern on your skin when you are cold could be due to abnormal circulation near the skin surface or blood vessel spasms. It may be a sign of an underlying condition like heart disease or a side effect of medication.

Sweaty feet - Excessive sweating of the feet, experts say, is harmless. Sweaty feet could also signal an underlying condition such as hyperthyroidism. 

These are just some of the things you may feel signal a hidden health problem, thanks to Dr. Evans's research-proven suggestions. Please contact your Fairview care provider t if you feel any of the preceding should be addressed. Thanks for reading, as always. 

 Ebenezer Communities Salute National Nurses Week, May 7th through 13th. We wouldn't have care without them. 
 
I could never praise nurses sufficiently. My times as a hospitalized patient have been almost literally countless. Had it not been for extra care provided by nurses, especially during emergency situations, I truly might not have survived. They genuinely care, and to annually set only one week aside to honor them is far too little, in my opinion.
 
As I noted, my times as a hospital patient have been numerous, from my pre-teen years until just this past March, for pneumonia. I'm back to full-strength health now, glad to say and certainly because nurses really cared.
 
I vividly recall an experience almost ten years ago when I had my left hip replaced. The recovery period lasted over four weeks, during which time I had some very painful episodes I won't describe, except to state they seemed to always happen in the overnight hours, when nursing staff was at a premium. I always felt badly about what they had to do to get me back into a recovered mode. It was especially so one morning at about 3 o'clock when a nurse's help was absolutely mandatory to allow me to survive. As I previously mentioned, I won't describe the truly gory details, but suffice it to say, that nurse had obviously many-times experienced what I needed to be accomplished and did so without any signs of squeamishness. She immediately knew what to do, she completed the task and I was on my way back to normalcy, all thanks to that wonderful nurse. I swore I would never forget her name, which should have been enshrined in my memory bank, but, alas I HAVE forgotten her name. Nonetheless, I'm sure she knew at that untimely time her work was more than appreciated. She saved my life.
 
Whether it's awakening a patient during the night to take medication or making the rounds just to make certain every patient is comfortable, nurses are truly the "glue" who hold everything together between doctors and patients. Many times I've often felt the nurses knew more, or as much, as doctors. 
 
In my opinion, any of us who finds ourselves hospitalized, regardless of how serious or relatively minor the reason should take time to thank nurses for executing their noble profession so diligently. As is true with life in general, life becomes better knowing someone REALLY cares enough about others as much as they may care for themselves. From the days of Clara Barton to present-day military nurses who have served in war combat zones, these professionals are truly among the most special of humanity. They are "at the ready" 24/7 in Ebenezer's Communities. MEGA congratulations to them during this year's National Nurses Week and ALWAYS, for all they do to make our lives so much better during trying times. Thank you  once again, for reading. 

 Reflections about living life and how we want it to be celebrated. What kind of legacy do we want to leave?

A few years ago, while videotaping a story about my life, Mike Binkley, a dear friend to me and former television news anchor here in the Twin Cities, once asked me how I would like to be remembered. It's a question I'd never been asked, but, for some unknown reason, I was able to respond with an answer, without hesitation. I told Mike I would like to be remembered as someone who only wanted to become successful enough to be able to help other people become successful. It was true then and true now. I suppose my response to Mike could be considered a legacy statement or even an ongoing statement while still alive. My thinking doesn't make me some sort of hero or saint, but I always feel better when I know something I did helped someone else.
 
Once again, not being a hero nor a saint (nor a devil, either!), I still feel instilled with the values and thought-processes I (and most probably, you) learned in those mostly more innocent and wholesome days of our youth. MY youth (and values-learning) years were the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. We were taught manners. We automatically thought "please" and "thank you" in every instance when those words applied, or should have applied. Without being solicitous or condescending, we males held doors open for females and rose at dining tables when a female approached to be seated. We, more than today, in my opinion, respected even those with whom we disagreed, acknowledging their rights to their opinions, unless those opinions were obviously inflammatory or hate-enough oriented to incite violence. A famous Voltaire comment has lived through the centuries. Respectfully. in case you may have forgotten, Voltaire said (paraphrased here), "I may strongly disagree with your views, but I will fight to the death to defend your right to express those views."
 
In my opinion, regarding what it means to be an older American at this time in our history, is often experiencing disrespect for what knowledge we have to offer society. It's been universally accepted for decades our U.S. society generally treats its senior citizens with much less respect than other cultures in this world, most notably those in Asia. In Japan and other Far East countries, elders are treated with inbred societal respect. Younger people there are taught age fosters wisdom and the older the person, the more valued wisdom and education they can impart to those just emerging into the throes of competitive society.
 
Why is more respect for elders so much a part of society in most other countries? One reason could be those countries and cultures have existed for millennia. Our culture has existed for 243 years. Does our youthful existence make us a lesser society? Of course not. We're justifiably looked upon as the most successful in the history of the world. That success, however, needs to continually grow to the point wherein our society parallels the thinking of most of this world's other countries in regard to making most older Americans receive the respect they deserve. Humbly but also realistically stated, in my opinion and the opinions of many, Ebenezer Communities are the precise exemplars of that respectful thinking and reality. 

This being the month of Easter, it's one of the special times of the year when, if possible, we gather with family and, in my opinion, should realize how important family is in our lives. Ebenezer communities, from residents to staff, certainly are exemplary with their emphasis on bringing people together as, in my opinion, almost extended families in home-like surroundings that generate warm hearts and perpetuate a welcoming family atmosphere. One of my recent visits to an Ebenezer community was, for me, close to experiencing an Epiphany regarding witnessing the depth of caring and excellent quality of life that made that community seem more like a "world" rather than a "community'. Nothing was lacking, especially in regard to how the residents interacted as family members who genuinely enjoyed being with each other.
 
From a personal standpoint, my own life yearned for the warmth and security exemplified at Ebenezer communities from the time I knew how to think. Naive as it might have been, the FATHER KNOWS BEST example of how family life should be, even before that television series debuted, was, to me, a life that could really exist, rather than simply a script-writer's dream or fantasy. (Sidebar: I had the pleasure to meet both Jane Wyatt and Elinor Donohue at different times of my life. If your memory might need refreshing, Ms. Wyatt was Robert Young's character's wife on the show and Elinor Donohue the elder of the three children portrayed in the series. In person, both Ms. Wyatt and Ms. Donohue were as warm as the characters they portrayed on that wholesome series of programs.)
 
As unlike FATHER KNOWS BEST as a life could be, and stressing how important family life is, my early years began without a father. He left my mother when I was barely aged 1-1/2. He walked out of the apartment one Sunday to supposedly get a newspaper and never returned. During those days of early World War Two, my mother worked for the War Department, sometimes until 9 or 10 p.m. Because of her schedule, she taught me how to make sandwiches (at age five), as well as open and heat the contents of cans of soup for my weeknight dinners. I also listened to the radio every night, in the dark. The programming was educational talk as well as classical music on the station whereon I would soon become a boy singer every Saturday morning for five years (KDKA, the world's first commercial radio station). 
 
In a nutshell, and not to be stated as a "pity party", my young, and even not-so-young, years, were lonely, with the loneliness amplified when I'd also listen to some popular radio soap operas with scripts focused on families and family life. Once again, even before FATHER KNOWS BEST, I wanted a "normal" family existence.
 
The kind of family I wanted as a child eventually materialized for me in later years, with the blessing of a wonderful marriage, two daughters (one of whom, I'm saddened to state, passed away two years ago at age 54 from ovarian cancer), four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. There have been many other blessings, including being a spokesperson for Ebenezer, the exemplars of knowing how to illustrate what it is to enjoy the true happiness of perpetuating family life, especially for those of advanced ages, as a mission-driven, values-based organization.
 
Thank you for reading, as always and pre-Happy Easter.