Wrestling Through Adversity

Recently, my doctor told me something that stopped me cold. He said I would never bring my blood sugar down without insulin—and that it would only get worse with age. In general, I would say I am a goal-oriented and self-reliant person and have been since I was five years old when I declared to my parents: “Leave me alone, I’ll do it myself!” But for a day or two after this demoralization in the doctor’s office, I cried a lot and lacked belief in myself to improve my well-being, especially after being told that this refusal to follow orders would increase my risk of vison loss and amputation down the road, or worse.

On Sunday, February 22, the 2026 Olympics ended with Team USA setting a team record for the most gold medals in a single Winter Games. Their success was capped off with both the women’s and men’s hockey teams winning gold in thrilling overtime victories.

As a reader of the Washington Post, I was saddened by the news of February 5, 2026 that one-third of its staff was eliminated, including its sports section, several foreign bureaus, and its books coverage in a widespread purge that struck harsh blow to journalism and to its legendary brand. Martin Baron, the Post’s first editor under its current owner, Jeff Bezos, called this action “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”

I just read Joe Tone’s January 22, 2026 column in The Washington Post on the right and wrong words for parents to say to their teens postgame. In anticipation, you, as a parent, may conjure up some words but not know exactly how to approach your child to say them. In many cases it is kind of hit or miss. When your teens do well in a game, you want to applaud them and speak about their great plays. However, when there are some bloopers made during a game, you may want to avoid comments so as not to call attention to them.