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“Can we even use weed here?” Paul asked.

I ran into the living room, thinking something had gone terribly wrong, and found her frantically pushing buttons on her phone while a rap song blared. I turned off the music and asked what she’d asked her phone to do.

A cruise ship with 5,500 passengers returned every item of laundry without loss. In nursing homes, lost clothing is one of the most common complaints. A long-term care ombudsman reflects on what missing laundry reveals about accountability, dignity, and respect in institutional care.

In 2025, I gave up a few hobbies. For three years, I walked five miles every day; I never missed a day. I walked in the morning before I had surgery, and against the advice of my surgeon, I walked the day after. I walked with injuries. I walked when I was sick and when I didn't feel like it. I kept walking. To quit walking would be a personal failure. I was having anxiety about breaking my walking streak. During the COVID years, I had walked 499 days straight before food pois

For years, I made New Year’s resolutions. They were organized and listed. I had family, financial, health, and personal resolutions. I didn’t just write them down; I monitored them throughout the year. I made notes beside each one, tracking how successful I’d been. At the end of the year, I analyzed my accomplishments and pondered my failures. Like many habits over the years, I eventually quit. And now, here I am again. It’s New Year’s Eve. But this year feels different. I’m