September brings focus on family, aging, and childhood cancer - Striking a Chord…

Greetings! Hope you had a great Corn Fest and start to this week. I ran out of room in the regular news coverage so I’ll put this piece of trivia here: The Loyal bakery, Sweet Retreat, once again sold their special Corn Fest donut this year and set a new record. They sold 730 donuts over the course of Corn Fest (Wednesday through Sunday)! That is quite a jump from their first year, 2017, when they sold 215 donuts.

The Corn Fest donut consists of a Long John donut covered in mashed potatoes, gravy, chicken, corn, bacon, and cheese. Sounds a little too crazy for a donut for my taste, but apparently it makes a good late-night snack, customers say. Congrats to the bakery on the big sale!

As we near the start of a new month and the final third of 2025, here are some holidays and observances to know about.

September is Intergeneration Month. This month encourages us to foster friendships not just with those of like age to ourselves, but of an older or younger generation. Sources from across the web suggest several benefits to intergenerational friendship, including increased emotional support for both parties, a wider range of perspectives, and ultimately, strengthened communities. Specific age-related benefits include the following: For the younger generation:

• Mentorship and guidance: Younger individuals can gain life lessons, advice, and perspectives from older friends, filling potential gaps in familial mentorship.

• Expanded support system: they provide another layer of support and companionship during challenging times.

• Greater understanding: Younger generations can gain an appreciation for what older generations went through and let go of stereotypes or assumptions.

• Learning and skill sharing: The older generation can share trades, crafts, or recipes that might otherwise be lost with the passage of time.

For the older generation:

• Emotional support and companionship: Intergenerational friendships combat loneliness and isolation, providing emotional support and a sense of purpose.

• Improved physical health: Intergenerational friendships can encourage physical activity, as older individuals may be motivated to participate in activities with younger friends.

• Sense of purpose and fulfillment: Older individuals can find purpose in mentoringandsharingtheirlifeexperiences with younger generations.

There are many more benefits I could list, but suffice it to say that intergenerational friendships provide a special kind of relationship that cannot be replicated by any other. If you’re older, consider spending time with your grandchildren or giving them a phone call or video chat if they’re far away. If you’re younger, reach out to a parent or grandparent. Make time to glean some wisdom from them.

Or, if you don’t have those familial relationships available, consider if there’s another person of a different generation in your life that you could get to know better. Sometimes all we need to feel better about our current situation is a change in perspective. It helps to hear from someone who’s been through what we’ve been through and come out the other side. Or for the older relating to the younger, to see life with a fresh set of eyes and remember the wonder of it all. We are designed to need each other. - September is also Healthy Aging Month. The National Institutes of Health promotes six keys to aging well: 1. Get moving. Walk, bike, or tend a garden. 2. Choose healthy foods rich in nutrients. 3. Manage stress, whether through meditation, exercise, journaling, or another healthy outlet.

4. Learn something new, be it an art class, exercise class, game, or skill.

5. Visit your doctor regularly. 6. Connect with family and friends. The people I’ve interviewed for the paper that have made it to 100 years old have been those that keep their mind active somehow, whether it’s reading, word searches, or knitting a new design. They also tend to be physically active – the one lady I interviewed would walk up and down her apartment hallway something like 10 times a day – or at least, they get out and do things with family or friends versus just sitting. In other words, it would seem that healthy aging doesn’t come by way of complacency. - Another observance in September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Forty-three children are diagnosed with cancer every day in the U.S., which equals more than 15,000 per year. Almost 10% of children with cancer inherited a genetic mutation; however, in the majority of the childhood cancer cases, the cause remains unknown. The most common type of childhood cancer is leukemia.

Worldwide, about 400,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed each year.

Although the numbers are saddening, there have been many advancements in the treatment of childhood cancer even in the last 10 years. Specifically, immunotherapy, especially CAR T-cell therapy, has revolutionized the treatment of certain cancers; and new targeted agents are being used in clinical trials to treat specific genetic alterations.

With these advancements, survival rates have improved significantly. In the mid-1970s, 58% of children (ages 0 to 14 years) and 68% of adolescents (ages 15 to 19 years) diagnosed with cancer survived at least 5 years. Now the overall survival rate is between 83% and 88% across all children’s age categories.

To recognize this month, you could consider making a donation to an organization such as the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (which received a perfect score from Charity Navigator) or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, to fund childhood cancer research and care.

Have a healthy and enjoyable week!