Semi-retirement doesn’t always mean a slower pace. In this reflection, I share how trials, a demanding appraisal assignment, and an invitation to preach all converged at once – and how the resulting stress reminds me to appreciate both my continued usefulness and the routines that keep me well. Perhaps there’s a lesson here for us all.
Forty-five years after my first trial testimony, I found myself back on a courthouse bench, waiting—and remembering. The benches hadn’t improved, but my preparation had. Two courtroom experiences offer lessons about staying calm, listening carefully, and putting experience to work as we age. And sometimes, a long wait becomes a surprisingly long walk.
Michael J. Fox did not choose Parkinson’s disease, and optimism has not spared him its progression. Yet, with Tracy Pollan and their family alongside him, he has kept choosing what comes next. His story offers a clear-eyed way to think about gratitude, purpose and the future still available to each of us as we age.
For nearly seven years, walking has been one of the best decisions I have made for my health. But lately, my body has been reminding me that walking is not everything. Strength, balance, power and mobility matter more as we age. I understood that long ago. The harder question is whether I am finally ready to act on it.
What does a GLP-1 drug really cost? Depending on insurance, government programs, dosage, discounts, and where it is purchased, the answer may range from $25 per month to more than $1,000 per month. Behind that remarkable spread lies a larger question: Who can afford access to this health revolution?
Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the images remain vivid—but so do the memories of where we were, whom we were with, and how suddenly the world changed. The anniversary prompted me to look back not only at that terrible day, but at the people, places, and experiences surrounding it—and to ask what we remember, and why.
Weight Watchers was once nearly synonymous with losing weight. Then GLP-1 medications changed the rules, helping push an already struggling company into bankruptcy. Its effort to rebuild around the very drugs that disrupted it offers an unusually visible case study—and a warning that the economic effects of GLP-1s will travel far beyond weight loss.
A will can say what should happen after we die. It may not tell our families what we own, where to find it, whom to call, or why we made certain decisions. My daughter’s memorable warning taught me the important difference between having an estate plan and leaving an estate that is truly ready.
GLP-1 drugs are changing how millions of people eat, but their economic impact may extend well beyond the dinner table. As consumers gain greater control over appetite, they may make different choices about what they buy and where they spend. Businesses will adapt. The question is not simply what disappears, but what replaces it.
GLP-1 drugs are changing the lives of people I know, including my sister. That prompted me to learn what these drugs actually do, how well they work, how many Americans are taking them, and what their risks are. What I found suggests something much bigger than just another weight-loss trend.
