October 11, 2026
Opinion
Caregiving doesn’t end at retirement
Most Americans hope that retirement will bring a transition into greater financial freedom and more time spent pursuing personal goals and hobbies. For parents acting as caregivers for adult children with disabilities, however, retirement often brings a different reality. Many of these adults find themselves continuing or increasing the care they provide while also facing the financial and physical challenges of aging themselves.
Blessed Assurance – Intelligence or wisdom?
Ihave spent a lot of my life acquiring knowledge. Like most people in the U.S. I attended school from Kindergarten through High School. I learned a lot and it prepared me in important ways for my continued learning in college and two graduate programs. Through all that formal education I developed a habit of life-long learning. Simply put, I love learning new things and am especially drawn to learning from and about people. I have met some fabulous human beings over the last 6.5 decades of life. Some have become close friends and others have become examples of what not to do – and both have taught me much.
Blessed Assurance – Rest
Anyone who knows me understands that I’m a fairly Type-A, driven individual. It has always been how I am wired and I have done well in my careers because of that way of functioning. However, that way of functioning has also led to symptoms of burnout and to an understanding that I can’t just go full throttle all the time without some rest and relaxation. Working too much in a high stress ICU environment helped me to understand my need for a different narrative that could heal the psychological wounds I was carrying from all the injuries and deaths I witnessed.
Thoughts from the Crossroads – Pumpkin spice
Well folks, it’s September. That means pumpkin spice flavor is everywhere for the next couple of months. When Starbucks debuted the pumpkin spice latte in 2003, the drink not only became a national phenomenon, but it sparked pumpkin spice flavored versions of practically everything. Yep, Pandora’s box had been opened.
Letters from Dogwood – Of dog days
We’ve just endured what some old-timers would call an oldfashioned summer: oppressive heat, humidity, afternoon thunderstorms. Believe it or not, records say this is the hottest July on record (1895-present). However, I recall a passel of hot summers and about as many that were Sahara-dry. There were summers we had to haul water for washing clothes onehalf a mile in old barrels; there were others when tadpoles swam in the flooded side ditches.
Blessed Assurance – The enemy of good
During my first career as a clinical pharmacist, I had the opportunity to work with a large number of physicians, nurses and other health professionals. Some of these folks were tremendous professionals and people, from whom I learned a great deal. I have always had a special affinity for surgeons, though they can be some of the prickliest and most challenging people God ever placed on earth! Part of this demeanor is that it takes a lot of chutzpah to cut open a living human body, mess about inside it for a while, and then sew everything back up again – kinda like nothing ever happened.
On & Off Earth – The sneakiness of September
September is a sneaky month. This first week, there is little doubt it is still summer but change, as always, is creeping in from all directions. The first sneaky change I noticed, back in mid-August, was the sunlight bypassing my overhanging eaves and shining onto my desk. The loss of daylight is subtle in the early summer but is picking up speed as Earth’s tilted orbit sees the sun wrap up its annual northern hemisphere tour at the Autumnal Equinox at 8:05pm on the 22nd.
Thoughts from the Crossroads – Frisbee
While at the Outer Banks recently, Rick and I tossed a frisbee around on the beach.
Thank you, Mr. Farmer
In an editorial column last week, I wrote about the necessity of the people behind the bylines and their ability to craft stories for others to read and learn from.