The Confidence of Being Yourself, 7 Flu Prevention Tips for Older Adults, and Tax-Smart Charitable Giving

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History (Non-Fiction): D-Day: The Battle for Normandy by Antony Beevor – This gripping history recounts the Allied invasion of Normandy and the brutal battles that followed, revealing the experiences of soldiers and civilians on both sides.

Memoir: Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox – This candid memoir chronicles a rise to Hollywood fame, a life-changing Parkinson's diagnosis, and the unexpected lessons learned through adversity.

Self-Help: Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg – This practical guide introduces a compassionate approach to communication that helps readers navigate conflict, express their needs, and build stronger relationships.

Romance: Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught – A spirited young woman returns to England after years in Paris, unaware that a powerful duke has secretly arranged to marry her.

No matter where you are in the process—an idea, an outline, a rough draft, or an almost-finished manuscript—we can help you get your book across the finish line.

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Check a few boxes, and we’ll match you with trusted options and initial consultations—many completely free—across insurance, housing, travel, finances, and more. It takes about five minutes, and you’re not committing to anything—just seeing what can save you time and energy.

As we age, a quiet shift happens: Other people's opinions stop carrying quite as much weight.

You wear the coat you genuinely like rather than the one that's fashionable. You order what you want at the restaurant regardless of social custom. You admit you've never heard the artist everyone insists is essential listening. You stop pretending to enjoy something simply because everyone else seems to.

Notably, this shift does not signal an indifference to other people. Instead, it represents becoming more comfortable with being yourself, including in front of others.

Think about how many everyday choices can be influenced by what we're "supposed" to prefer.

Perhaps you'd rather spend Saturday afternoon gardening than attend a crowded event with acquaintances you half know. Maybe your favorite restaurant is a tiny diner rather than the newest, fanciest place in town. You might prefer mysteries to literary novels, comfortable shoes to fashionable ones, or a cozy weekend cottage to an elaborate continent-wide vacation.

At some point, "because I like it" becomes a perfectly sufficient reason—you don’t need any other explanation, and neither should anyone else.

Not needing to impress people can also change social situations.

You don't need to tell funniest story at the table, concoct the most interesting travel plans, or provide the cleverest answer in the room. You can ask questions, listen closely, and let someone else take the lead.

Ironically, becoming less concerned about appearing interesting often makes conversations more interesting—you already know what you already know, so why not learn what others have to offer?

Confidence isn't demonstrated by always having the answer. Much more confidence is needed to admit you don’t.

There's freedom in being able to say, "I've never heard of that," "I don't understand," or even, "I was wrong about that."

When protecting your image becomes less important, curiosity has more room to take its place. Over time, you’ll likely even gain some of the answers you once didn’t have, just by admitting you didn’t have them.

There's a difference between giving up on what other people think and no longer organizing your choices around their approval. Consideration, good manners, and caring about others still matter. But constantly measuring yourself against expectations you didn't choose can is unnecessary, if not outright harmful.

The confidence to simply like what you like, know what you know, and be interested in what you don't is a particularly satisfying kind of freedom—one that both you and the people around you will likely come to appreciate.

We're looking for seniors who are embracing life with enthusiasm, purpose, and adventure. Whether you're traveling the world, starting a business, volunteering, pursuing a passion, learning new skills, or simply making the most of every day, we'd love to hear your story.

Think that might be you?

Email [email protected] with a photo and a short bio. We may feature you in an upcoming edition of Seniors Magazine.

You may have a photograph somewhere that contains three generations of your family. Find it.

The discount: Barnes & Noble

What it gives you: Select stores host senior shopping events or offer senior discount days for customers age 55+. Participation varies by location

How to claim it: Check with your local store for current senior savings events

“The Year We Got a VCR”
From the life overview of James R., 74, Columbus, Ohio. Shared with permission.

In 1984, my wife and I bought our first VCR. It cost almost $600, which seemed absurd for a machine whose main purpose was recording television.

But we bought it anyway.

The salesman spent twenty minutes explaining how to program it. I nodded as though I understood.

I really did not.

For the first few months, I recorded everything manually. If we wanted to watch something that aired at nine, I would stay awake until then, press the record button, and then go to bed.

My wife was annoyed. She thought this defeated the entire purpose.

One Friday night, I decided I was finally going to program the darn thing. I sat on the floor with the instruction manual for forty-five minutes.

When I finished, a series of numbers appeared on the device. I remember hoping that they meant something.

The next morning, my wife asked if it had worked. I held my breath and pressed play.

We had recorded four hours of a televised golf tournament. As it turned out, we had set the machine to the wrong channel.

We laughed so hard we couldn’t breathe. At least after that, I learned how to use it properly.

For years, we recorded movies, football games, and television shows. The machine eventually broke, so I threw it away.

It seems funny now when I think about how complicated that VCR seemed. My grandchildren can watch almost anything they want with the press of a button.

I still don’t know how they do it.

***

Want to preserve for future generations the stories, experiences, and wisdom that have shaped your life?
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Travle
How well do you know your geography? This daily puzzle gives you two countries and challenges you to find a route between them by naming the countries you would pass through along the way. Some routes are surprisingly straightforward, while others require a little creative thinking about borders and geography.

The New York Times – Strands
This daily word-search puzzle has a twist: Every hidden word belongs to a common theme, and one special word or phrase stretches across the board to reveal what connects them all. The challenge is figuring out the theme while uncovering every word in the grid. It's a satisfying alternative to traditional crosswords.

Police investigate scams involving fake Microsoft and FTC agents

This daily section is brought to you by MemoirGhostwriting.com, experts in capturing life stories for loved ones and/or the public.

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Almost everyone has a collection of spare buttons tucked away in a sewing box, drawer, or old tin. Some came from shirts long since discarded, while others were saved because they were too pretty or unusual to throw away.

Those little odds and ends can become surprisingly attractive decorations, gifts, and useful household accessories. Best of all, button crafts are inexpensive and offer plenty of opportunities to experiment with color, texture, and design.

One of the simplest projects is framed button art. Arrange buttons on a piece of cardstock or canvas to create a tree, bouquet of flowers, heart, or colorful abstract pattern.

Before gluing anything down, experiment with different arrangements. Mixing button sizes and shades can create interesting depth, while using similar colors produces a more coordinated appearance.

For inspiration, browse button craft ideas and tutorials, where you'll find examples of framed artwork, ornaments, and decorative designs.

Buttons can also become attractive accessories. Try sewing several decorative buttons onto a plain fabric headband, adding them to a canvas tote, or creating a simple button bracelet.

For jewelry, choose buttons with interesting shapes or finishes and combine them with embroidery floss, elastic cord, or jewelry findings.

Fire Mountain Gems offers jewelry-making supplies, including cords, clasps, and findings for experimenting with handmade accessories.

Old buttons can add character to everyday objects. Cover a plain picture frame with a mixture of vintage buttons, decorate a small wooden box, or make seasonal ornaments using buttons in coordinating colors.

For something more ambitious, try this four-season button tree wall art tutorial, which uses buttons and paint to create a colorful display across four canvases.

You can also follow this button wind chime tutorial to create a cheerful decoration for a porch or garden.

Not every button needs to become part of a craft immediately. Some may have come from a favorite coat, a wedding outfit, or clothing passed down through the family.

Consider creating a small framed collection of meaningful buttons, with handwritten labels explaining their origins. It's a simple way to preserve personal history while making something decorative.

The next time you discover a forgotten tin of buttons, take a closer look. You might already have everything you need for your next creative project.

A folder filled with filenames like IMG_4821 or Document(3) can make finding something unnecessarily difficult. Giving files descriptive names makes them easier to recognize, search for, and organize.

On Windows, open File Explorer, select the file, and press F2. Type the new name and press Enter. You can also right-click the file and select Rename.

On a Mac, open Finder, select the file, and press Return. Enter the new name and press Return again.

Renaming a file doesn't change its contents. However, avoid changing the file extension at the end, such as .jpg, .pdf, or .docx, since doing so may prevent the file from opening correctly.

On an iPhone, open the Files app, press and hold a file, and select Rename. On Android, open your file manager, select a file, and look for Rename in the menu.

Photos stored in your phone's main photo gallery may need to be saved to a file manager before renaming.

For easier searching, use descriptive names such as "Family Reunion July 2026" or "Home Insurance Policy 2026."

Today: Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne sits between a beautiful lake and dramatic mountain scenery, with a compact old town and easy access to scenic boat and rail journeys. It delivers classic Swiss scenery without requiring constant hotel changes.

Ingrid’s Tip: Stay near the lake or train station if convenience matters. From one comfortable base, you can take boat rides and mountain excursions without hauling your luggage around Switzerland.

Unscramble the letters to find a famous person, event, or object. Think you know it? Reply with your answer and show off your brainpower.

Today’s clue: Cartoon bird famous for saying he “tawt” he saw a certain cat.

WEYTET IRBD

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