As we’ve seen, God designed us to be in relationship with himself and with people. Whether we prioritize relationships over success has an impact on our physical health. The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest study of human happiness ever conducted, nearly eighty-five years of data. What it set out to answer was simple: what makes a good life? The answer wasn't income, achievement, or status. In fact, people who pursued those goals often ended up much less happy than others. The key to happiness? The quality of your relationships. Full stop. Study participant John Marden chose a high-success career path in law. A classmate of his, Leo DeMarco, conversely gave up his dream of writing when his father died, and his mother fell ill. He moved back home to Vermont, married, taught high school, and quietly raised four daughters. He chose relationships over riches, people over profit. When both men were fifty-five, they answered the same questionnaire. John—despite his accomplishments—said life had more pain than pleasure and that he felt starved for affection. His first marriage broke up years earlier, thanks, in part, to his workaholism, and his relationship with his adult children was never the same after. He later remarried, at age sixty-two, and, in a later survey, described that relationship as "loveless." Leo—living a much more modest life than might have been the case had he pursued a high-paying career—said the opposite: Life was good, and he felt deeply loved. Leo's wife and kids adored him, and he had many friends. As the economy and culture continue to shift, we’re reminded once again of what actually matters most. REFLECTION QUESTION Looking at how you actually spend your time, what is receiving your best energy right now: your career, your platform, or people? PRAYER God, I don't want to arrive at the end and realize I optimized for the wrong things. Reorient me toward what actually lasts. Amen. **Taken from YouVersion And the devotional entitled StillHuman. This devotional talks about us being human in this AI generation,**

Life has honestly kicking my butt for the last couple of years and I’m working on being okay. In July my hubby got sick and we spent most of July in the hospital. There was a moment in his hallucinations that he was speaking to the lady in the corner of room. His vitals dropped after he told me about the woman in the corner. The room was swarmed by doctors and nurses and he was stabilized. It was the first time I ever thought of what my life would be without him. Later, while still in the hospital he told me he had a dream that his Grandma Skarda came to him in his dreams. He told me Grandma told him that it wasn’t his time yet. He’s home now and doing a bit better thank God. He started walking without a walker a few weeks ago. During his at home recovery I received a phone call his step sister that his mom was sick and we might want to head that way. The family is very estranged and the steps are causing all sorts of problems. Tom’s mom was the queen bee of narcissists and threw people away like you’d throw away leftovers after a few weeks. She died when Tom and my 6 year old grandson were with her. I thank God for that. When I got to the room Tom was just sitting in a chair repeatedly saying “I never really knew my mom.” It broke my heart to her him say that. Her birthday was a few days ago and Tom’s was yesterday. I feel guilty bc I was excited that I didn’t have to dread the phone ringing anymore. That I am actually relieved that she has passed. I’m learning more and more that you can really love someone from a distance. That realization has been gut wrenching for me bc my family is so close. Am I a bad person for not really mourning Tom’s mom?

I wanted to share this as I had never heard of it. It is an innovative program through CMS with over 400 approved providers. It was started, I believe, in 2024. https://www.primaryrecord.com/understanding-medicares-guide-model-a-new-hope-for-dementia-care/

Jim, your friends on K&C wish you a smooth recovery!