Welcoming a New In-Law, Caring for Grey Hair, and Making Smart Roth Conversions

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History (Non-Fiction): The Ottoman Endgame by Sean McMeekin – This sweeping history chronicles the wars, revolutions, and political upheaval that brought down the Ottoman Empire and reshaped the modern Middle East.

Memoir: Greenhorn: Episodes in an Immigrant’s Life by Alex Krieger – This memoir recounts the challenges, discoveries, and defining experiences of building a new life in America as a young immigrant.

Self-Help: The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest – This practical guide explores why people sabotage their own progress and how greater self-awareness can turn destructive patterns into personal growth.

Romance: Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young – Two friends restoring a vintage school bus find their easygoing relationship becoming more complicated as friendship gives way to deeper feelings.

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Every family changes as it grows. A new son- or daughter-in-law doesn't simply join the depiction of your family tree—they become part of family dinners, holiday traditions, conversations, and memories that will continue for years to come.

Like any new relationship, their place within the family takes time to develop. The strongest family connections are rarely built in a single holiday or special occasion. More often, they grow through small moments shared over days, months, and years.

It's natural to hope for an immediate connection, especially since your child means so much to you, but meaningful relationships almost never happen overnight.

Instead of expecting instant closeness, allow the relationship to develop at its own pace. A few enjoyable conversations, a shared meal, or a relaxed afternoon together lay a stronger foundation than trying too hard to force an immediate bond. If you simply show you care and want to get to know them, that bond will undoubtedly emerge.

It's easy to think of a new family member primarily as your child's partner. But they're also an individual with their own interests, experiences, traditions, and stories.

If you really want to get to know them for who they are, you might ask about

Questions like these show that you're interested in getting to know them as an individual, not just as an extension of your child.

Every family has customs they've followed for years. Perhaps your family always opened gifts in a certain order, served the same holiday meal, or gathered at one particular house.

As families grow, traditions grow and evolve along with them. Being open to combining customs—or creating entirely new ones—helps everyone feel that they belong. After all, today's new tradition may become tomorrow's cherished memory.

One of the greatest gifts parents and parents-in-law can offer is confidence. Whether it's setting up a first home, hosting a holiday meal, or raising children, allowing the younger generation to find their own way demonstrates trust and respect. Your experience remains valuable, but it's often most appreciated when it's offered with encouragement rather than expectation. Plus, when you mostly give advice when they seek it, you just might find that they seek it more frequently.

Relationships are typically built through ordinary experiences rather than formal occasions. Instead of trying to plan something grand, plan small activities you can do together:

Doing something side by side makes conversation feel more natural, and they let you see sides of each other you wouldn’t notice while just sitting down and trying to make conversation.

Welcoming a new son- or daughter-in-law isn't only about inviting someone into your family. It's also about recognizing that your family is becoming part of theirs. 

Showing interest in their parents, siblings, traditions, and celebrations communicates respect for the life they had long before they joined your family. That generosity strengthens relationships for everyone. Soon enough, you might find that you’ve gained way more than one more family member.

Families become stronger when new members feel accepted for who they are, not for how quickly they fit into existing traditions or dynamics. By approaching the relationship with patience, curiosity, and kindness, you create space for trust to grow naturally. Over time, someone who once felt like "the new person" can become impossible to imagine the family without.

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.

Some of the best days of your life may be memories. Some may still be appointments you haven't put on the calendar yet.

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“When My Father Took Me to the Ballgame”
From the life overview of Edward M., 82, Baltimore, Maryland. Shared with permission.

My father took me to my first baseball game in 1956 when I was twelve years old. The Baltimore Orioles were playing the Yankees.

We rode the bus into town and walked the rest of the way. After purchasing two tickets from a man outside the stadium, my father then spent the entire first inning explaining that he probably could have gotten them cheaper from someone else.

Despite complaining so much about the money, he still bought me a hot dog.

I remember almost everything about that afternoon—except the score from the game. All the other details—the smell of mustard and popcorn, the sound that the crowd made when one of the players hit a ball deep into the outfield, and the way my father kept score in a little yellow program—remain fresh in my mind seventy years later.

At one point, a foul ball arrived in the stands several sections away from us. I jumped up and shouted that I had seen it.

My father remarked, “Everybody saw it.”

I told him I had seen it first, and he didn’t argue.

Decades later, when my father had been gone for several years, I took my own son to a game. He was about the age that I was when I had the same experience. I bought him a hot dog and a program, and he immediately asked why baseball players wore such ugly uniforms.

I told him I had no idea.

I still keep an old baseball scorecard in a drawer. Although I don’t remember who won that game in 1956, I remember who took me. And that’s what matters.

***

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Making new friends often works better when friendship isn't the only reason everyone is in the room. A book discussion, walking group, pottery class, card game, or volunteer project gives you something to talk about immediately—and a reason to see the same people again.

Think about activities you'd happily do even if you didn't meet your new best friend there. Libraries may host book clubs and craft groups, while recreation departments, community colleges, museums, and botanical gardens often offer recurring classes and workshops.

Meetup can help you find local groups built around interests such as hiking, photography, books, gardening, games, travel, and dining. If reading is your thing, Bookclubs lets you search for book clubs that are open to new members.

A weekly card game or monthly club gives relationships time to develop naturally. If you enjoy cards, the American Contract Bridge League provides tools for finding affiliated bridge clubs and games.

Volunteering can work particularly well because conversation develops while everyone is focused on a shared task. VolunteerMatch lets you search for opportunities by location and interest, from animals and gardening to museums and community projects.

Don't write off a promising group because you didn't immediately connect with someone at the first meeting. Attend several times if you enjoy the activity. Familiar faces make starting conversations much easier.

Small actions help. Arrive a little early and talk before class, sit near someone you've spoken with before, or ask whether they'd like to get coffee afterward.

Your existing hobbies are a natural starting point, but a new activity puts everyone in learning mode together. Try a beginner art class, community choir, dance lesson, walking club, or gardening workshop.

The aim isn't to fill your calendar with groups. Find one or two places you genuinely enjoy returning to. Friendship often grows quietly from exactly that: seeing the same people, sharing an interest, and having another conversation next week.

Software updates can be easy to postpone, especially when everything seems to be working normally. But keeping your phone, computer, tablet, and apps current is an important part of keeping them secure and reliable.

Security problems are regularly discovered in operating systems, web browsers, and apps. Updates often contain fixes that close these vulnerabilities before criminals can use them to access devices or personal information.

This is especially important for apps that handle sensitive information, such as email, banking, shopping, and password managers. Turning on automatic updates can make staying protected much easier.

Updates aren't only about security. They can fix bugs that cause freezing, crashes, excessive battery use, or other frustrating problems. They may also improve performance or make an app compatible with newer devices and services.

Before installing a major operating-system update, make sure important photos and files are backed up. For routine security and app updates, however, installing them promptly is generally a good habit.

One caution: update apps through your device's official app store or built-in settings—not through unexpected links in emails, texts, or pop-up messages.

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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: Older shellac disc commonly played at 78 RPM.

78 EDRORC

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