Columns

Wishing Everyone A Happy Holy-days

Perhaps you have one of those bracelets with the letters, “WWJD.” The intended message, of course, is for the wearer to ask herself, “What Would Jesus Do,” so that we might bring morality and ethics into our daily decision-making process. As a Rabbi, I love those bracelets, because WWJD could be interpreted as, “What Would any Jew Do?” It is no accident that our Christian friends borrow extensively from Jewish teachings, since the star figure and moral exemplar of the New Testament seems to practice Judaism throughout his life. He visits the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, he ...

Time With ‘Hunny’

There is a dog in our house. Not just any dog, my 11-year-old granddaughter’s dog named Hunny. Yes, like Winnie the Pooh “hunny.” This 12-pound ball of tan fur has managed to melt our hearts with her gentle nature and tenacity for catching a small tennis ball in mid-air. While we don’t own a pet, having a dog around the house reminds us of the many years we did enjoy our basset hounds. Now, we simply have the pleasure of this dog’s affection while we dog-sit on various occasions to help out her busy family. Hunny seems to enjoy our company as we do hers. Our son said she gets ...

Top Senior Scams and How to Avoid Them

Dear Savvy Senior, My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now? --Almost 80 Dear Almost, Your kids’ concerns are well founded. Financial fraud is a massive – and rapidly growing – problem for older Americans. In 2024 alone, scams cost older adults an estimated $81.5 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission. That staggering figure includes both reported losses and the many crimes that likely go unreported. While many scams today target people of ...

Red, Yellow, Green

It’s been a very long time since I took a test to obtain my driver’s license. I remember studying a driver’s education booklet before taking the written test which I passed on my first go. It was only a few weeks after my 16th birthday that I successfully completed the driving portion of the testing to become a full-fledged member of the driving public. At that time, the West Virginia State Police held testing at their location in Triadelphia (that site no longer exists). My older brother, Herk, took me to take my driving test in the family’s station wagon. When I think about ...

Is Your Aging Parent Safe at Home?

Dear Savvy Senior, After watching the coverage of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, I’m worried about my own elderly mother who lives alone in another state. I want to make sure she’s safe without being intrusive. Are there simple, affordable ways to check in on her from afar? – Concerned Son Dear Concerned, You’re not alone. High-profile cases like this often heighten fears, especially for adult children whose parents live alone and may be vulnerable. The good news is there are several free or low-cost ways to stay connected and gain peace of mind without infringing on your ...

What Keeps Me Up at Night

I thought as I got older that my fears in life would become less. It just doesn’t seem to work that way even with knowledge and common sense on my side. Like many of you, my fears are probably considered irrational. Topping my list of scary things are: spiders, falling and breaking a hip, heights, distracted drivers on cellphones and school shootings. My list has actually grown to include uninformed voters. And something I saw the other day really put the fright into my night. I was watching an on-the-street news reporter asking college age students some rather simple questions. It ...