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Make Room for Real Connection THE VALUE OF BUILDING A COMMUNITY THE LEGAL NAVIGATOR JANUARY 2026
The best kind of friendship feels easy and natural. You can walk in without knocking, pull up a chair, and start talking before anyone looks up. No one’s worried about cleaning the house or having anything specific on hand for entertainment. It’s relaxed, real, and something many wish they had more of. These relationships are what community is all about, but they don’t happen overnight. They take work and intention. So, where do we start? The first thing we need to do is make time. Life gets busy. Between work, family, errands, and everything else we think can’t wait, making room for anything extra can be difficult. That’s why intentionally scheduling time is essential. It might mean blocking out a night once a week to have a drink with friends or carving a spot in your schedule for a community class you’ve been meaning to join. If you already have a packed schedule, it might even mean saying no to something else first. Think of your community like a garden. Time is the soil where community grows, and nothing can take root if the soil’s too crowded. Once you’ve created the space to grow your community, you need to show up and invest your time cultivating it. This is much easier to do if you surround yourself with people who share similar interests. Maybe you’re into running or cooking. Finding a running group in your neighborhood or a cooking class at the local community center can help you find like-minded people you’re more likely to connect with. From there, it’s up to you to put the time and energy into turning those connections into friendships. After you’ve made a connection, waiting for the other person to take the first step and reach out is easy. But the truth is that most people are waiting, too. So, take the initiative. Send a text. Invite your new acquaintance for coffee. Drop a note in a neighbor’s mailbox if you’ve been meaning to say hello. It doesn’t have to
be a big thing. Even a simple invitation can open the door to something lasting.
And once a connection grows, keep a spot open for others. Settling into a comfortable friend circle is natural, but community building is perpetual. There’s always someone nearby looking for their own circle, just like you were. Leaving space at the table or in your schedule makes room for someone else to belong and gives you more opportunities to expand your circle of friends.
Through all of this, you start to see the value of community. Unlike social media and other online platforms, real-life connections give us more than the illusion of closeness. They give us people we can count on and who can count on us. They’re the friends who help
when the car breaks down or the news isn’t good. That kind of support is the reward for showing up, investing time, and being part of something real. When we keep showing up for each other, that’s when a group of people becomes something more.
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DON’T LET THE FIRE DIE MAKE WINTER BONFIRES YOUR NEW TRADITION
Provide toasty treats. Sometimes, clothes alone are not enough to protect us from winter’s chill. During these moments, it can help to eat or drink something that fills your whole body with warmth. Thankfully, you’ll have a bonfire to help you toast and warm some delicious treats. S’mores are usually the go-to, but you can also warm up hot dogs, sausages, or even corn on the cob. And don’t forget the drinks! Hot chocolate, warm apple cider, or even tea can help everyone stay comfortable and in good spirits.
Many Americans invite their friends and family for a bonfire throughout the summer and fall. Nothing beats making s’mores, sharing stories, and enjoying the flickering flame under the moonlight. As temperatures drop and winter weather appears on the radar, some cover and ignore their bonfire area until after the cold and rainy seasons. However, you can still create an awe- inspiring bonfire during winter if you put together a plan.
Winter bonfires can quickly become a regular part of your seasonal traditions, and these strategies will help ensure your bonfire is a hit with everyone who attends. Help people stay warm. Nobody wants to sit outside in the dark and freezing cold. Encourage everyone attending to dress in warm clothes appropriate for the frigid temperatures, but be prepared to help out if someone starts to feel chilly. Have extra blankets and coats within reach so you can easily pass them to anyone in need.
Add games or fun activities. Some may grow bored with traditional bonfire activities, which is why you should have an extra activity or game up your sleeve. Depending on the lighting, you could play a card or board game. If the lighting is too dim, you can incorporate other activities requiring more movement and adventure. Kids and adults alike will have fun playing a game of flashlight tag or participating in a scavenger hunt. Plus, the extra movement will help everyone stay warm!
3 Daily Habits That Will Transform Your 2026
Diet and exercise matter. This is probably not news to you, but we can’t downplay the importance of diet and exercise. Listen to your body; it will tell you what it needs. Many people fall into the trap of overeating without realizing it or starving themselves when they want to lose weight, but this won’t make them feel good. Eat when your body tells you to, stick to a healthy diet, and find time for exercise. You need to find ways to motivate yourself, especially when you want to stay in bed and stick to comfort foods. Your body will thank you. Drink more water. How much water do you drink each day? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that men should drink about 15.5 cups of fluids daily and women should drink 11.5 cups. If you aren’t hitting these numbers, it’s time to adjust. Start and finish each day with a glass of water. Walk around with a refillable bottle. Staying hydrated will help your body function much better.
As we enter another new year, there’s no better time to adjust your daily habits to help you become the healthiest version of yourself mentally and physically. Here are three strategies you can incorporate into your New Year’s expectations and resolutions that will help ensure 2026 is your healthiest year yet! Start every day strong. Many Americans fall into the same routines year after year, and most are dangerous for their overall well-being. They stay up too late, wake up to an alarm a few hours later, scramble to get ready, and jump in the car as soon as possible to get to work. Your morning routine sets the tone for your day. If you’re in a hurry every morning, you will feel rushed and exhausted. Give yourself ample time in the morning to take care of yourself and some simple chores. Make your bed, have a glass of water, take good care of your hygiene, eat something, and incorporate some movement into your mornings. It will be hard initially, but you’ll feel the benefits within a few weeks.
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Over the Hill and Loving It Hobbies That Help You Pause With Purpose
Arts & Crafts If you can find an activity that speaks to your artistic side, you’ll gain a new way to express yourself and center your thoughts. The best part of arts and crafts is that there are activities for everyone. You can journal, write short stories, paint awe-inspiring landscapes, knit beautiful pieces of clothing, sculpt something from clay, make soap, or even work on your calligraphy. Baking Those who want to lose themselves in thought while creating something delicious should head to the kitchen. Baking is a great way to create something from nothing while relieving stress, developing patience, and expressing yourself creatively. All you need to get started are a few ingredients, a recipe, and the willingness to bake!
start looking for a quieter lifestyle, ideally as part of their retirement. This way of life calls on us to slow down and shift our habits to align with what matters most. One of the best moves we can make to incorporate this idea of slower living fully is participating in hobbies that allow us time for introspection and reflection. Here are three accessible and simple hobbies that allow us to focus on what matters most. Walking There’s something magical about being outside in nature. Walking is a great way to add extra movement to your day, connect with nature, and refocus your thoughts. While you can walk anywhere, it’s best to get out in the wilderness, where distractions are in short supply.
Life is a marathon. For the first few decades of our lives, everything is go-go-go. We constantly look ahead to the next stage of life and wonder what we need to do to reach it, whether it’s finishing high school, earning a college degree, or moving up in our industry. As we settle down and start families, things slow down slightly, but life remains chaotic. Many tire of the hustle culture as they approach that “over the hill” age. They’ll
TAKE A BREAK
KOREAN GROUND BEEF
Ingredients
Sauce • 1/4 cup reduced- sodium soy sauce • 1 tbsp honey, or a liquid sugar- free sweetener • 1 tsp cornstarch • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Stir Fry • 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef, 85/15 • 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced • 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced Finishing Touches • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil • 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
Directions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. 2. In a large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as you cook, about 5 minutes. 3. Drain the beef and return it to the skillet. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 4. Stir sauce into the beef, then cook for 2 more minutes, until heated through and the sauce thickens. 5. Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil, sprinkle with sliced green onions, and serve over white rice (if desired).
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Creating the Community We All Need
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Turn Cold Nights Into Warm Memories Make 2026 Your Healthiest Year Yet
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Rediscover Yourself With Hobbies That Heal, Create, and Inspire Korean Ground Beef
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From School Lesson to Real-Life Hero
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THE HEART OF A HERO Ellie’s Quick Thinking Prevents a Family Tragedy
When one Delaware fourth grader learned about life-saving measures as part of a school challenge, she took those lessons to heart, literally. Ellie received training in her class through the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge, a nationwide program encouraging children to adopt heart-healthy habits and teaching them essential knowledge for responding to medical emergencies. Though Ellie now considers herself an advocate for heart health, no one expected how life- changing those skills would become. One day, Ellie’s father started to exhibit alarming symptoms, ones she instantly recognized as possible signs of a serious heart emergency. The youngster stayed calm and collected, thinking back to everything she learned during the Heart Challenge. Though her father tried to
explain away the warning signs as fatigue, Ellie saw the severity of the situation. She began to ask the questions she had been instructed to ask to help evaluate if someone is about to have a heart-related emergency. “When did the pain start? Where is the pain, and does it radiate?” Ellie insisted that it was time to take her dad to the hospital, and her persistence likely saved his life. Her father was diagnosed with stress-induced cardiomyopathy, a serious condition that weakens the heart and can be life-threatening if left untreated. Thanks to her identifying the warning signs and pushing for medical attention, Ellie stopped a potential tragedy. Her mother, Christine, said she was impressed by her daughter’s heroic act, and things might have turned out differently if she hadn’t sprung to his aid.
“You would be just as proud of her as we are if you had seen her leap into action,” she said. “She kept him alert while I rushed us to the emergency room.” Ellie is using this moment to inspire other young people to learn about the warning signs of heart emergencies and prioritize their own heart health. “I want my peers to learn how to take care of their hearts and the hearts of the people they love,” she said. “This knowledge can make a difference in an emergency.” Ellie’s story reminds us that heroism has no age limit, and even the youngest hearts can make a huge, life-changing difference.
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