“The Room Where It Happens” is a song from Act 2 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. The musical relates Hamilton’s life and his relationships with his family and Aaron Burr. Lin-Manuel Miranda composed the song, which detailed the Dinner Table Bargain of 1790 when Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison met privately and hashed out the compromise that set the location for the new US Capital on the Potomac River in what is now Washington, DC.

I really don’t know the answer to the title of this article, I can only share what I think is the Creator’s plan as I’ve experienced the deaths of so many loved ones over the years and especially in these last several months. Since January I’ve experienced the deaths of eight Sylvania Franciscan Sisters, three of them in the month of July alone. My last surviving uncle, Richard Thill, died in March just as we became aware of the pandemic, and my cousin, Peter, and my dear sister, Bobbie, died in June. None of the deaths were attributed to Covid-19, but that is little consolation as they have indeed all passed on from this earth to heaven. At least that is my hope and prayer.

The year 2020 has been full of surprises that have kept all of us on our toes and expecting the unexpected. Starting in March, we found ourselves doing everything we could to make sure our residents were safe as this pandemic transformed all our lives. The daily changes and new protocols were an unexpected challenge, but our team rolled up their sleeves and pushed through by forming a COVID response team whose primary goal was to make sure our community remained safe. At the same time, this dynamic team has continued their creative efforts to keep our residents entertained and socially active while following all safety protocols. Social interaction is essential for a senior’s mental and physical well-being as isolation is one of the biggest causes of depression and loneliness.

It may still be warm and summer-like as you read this issue of HLN, but before you know it, fall will arrive with cooler weather and shorter days. After that, it won’t be long before our local deciduous trees start shedding leaves and area homeowners have to dust off their rakes and get to work.

Not everyone experiences a life-changing event in their lifetime, one that impacts them for better or worse. As we continue to experience the pandemic, we are witnesses to our own experiences. We don’t know what the outcome will be for ourselves, our neighbors, our community, and so on. It can be an unnerving but positive experience if it is a life-changing event that changes us for the better. As you reflect on the pandemic in the next weeks and months, consider your life as it is today and the changes that you intend to make because of it.

Occasional bouts of sleeplessness are a fact of life for most people, but for some, a good night’s sleep seems almost unattainable. They may have difficulty dropping off to sleep every night, or, if they are able to fall asleep, they may wake up at some point (or several points) during the night and find that they are unable to regain their restful state. Chronically tired as a result of their insomnia, these weary souls stumble through the day in a fog. Work suffers, relationships are strained, and the vicious cycle of sleeplessness spins on and on.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) announced that it is expanding its virtual memory screening offerings to accommodate the high demand for the service. Screenings will now be offered every Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (ET) and every Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ET). Appointments can be scheduled by calling AFA at 866-232-8484.

When you’ve been running the same course at the same pace for a long period, the route and scenery become boring and you might feel as though you’re on “auto pilot” during your run. Most runners experience these same feelings at one time or another during their training. Challenging yourself daily with your running program will help minimize your “comfort-zone” tendencies. Here’s how:

At about 10:00 on the morning of July 8, Shirley and I were in Dodge City, KS on our way to Southern Colorado. At the Visitors Center I asked a very nice woman if Miss Kitty, Chester, and Marshal Dillon were likely to be at the Long Branch that early in the day.

Every year, the Susan G. Komen Northwest Ohio Race for the Cure draws thousands of people who support the fight against breast cancer to downtown Toledo and the campus of Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay. But this year, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Race for the Cure will look a bit different.