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When Life Changes, You Don’t Have to Go It Alone CAN COUNSELING PROVIDE RELIEF IN OUR LATER YEARS? THE LEGAL NAVIGATOR SEPTEMBER 2025
Most Americans want to live long, fulfilling, and happy lives. One of the best ways to maximize our lifespan is by incorporating healthy aging habits into our regular routines. For some, this means running for miles through the neighborhood, lifting weights at the gym, and eating nutritious meals. However, healthy aging is not just a physical endeavor. We must take actions to fortify and maintain our mental health, focus, and concentration if we want to get the most enjoyment out of our senior years. Improving and maintaining mental health is not easy, especially if you are only now establishing healthy habits. Research points to countless sources telling you to eat a nutritious diet, stay active, engage in hobbies, and socialize to make a difference. Still, your results may vary depending on countless variables. However, you can do one thing in particular that provides an eye-opening experience while giving you the tools you need to be the best version of yourself: counseling and therapy. Despite its stigma with older Americans, counseling has proven to be a valuable resource for healthy aging. Counseling can help with various life aspects and situations. Here are three different experiences that counseling and therapy can help you work through while maintaining your mental fortitude. Isolation It’s no secret that feelings of isolation and loneliness become more common as we age. We may have lost touch with friends, can no longer participate in our favorite hobbies due to health-related issues,
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or have even lost loved ones. We don’t have the opportunities we had during our youth to meet new people, especially after retirement. This leads many to wonder how to break free from their isolation. While counseling won’t replace your social circle, it will allow you to explore your thoughts and the reasoning behind your isolation. You can discover what’s keeping you from meeting new people or learn new strategies to make friends in your later years. Sometimes, just opening up about your feelings can help ease intense isolation. Life Transitions Our lives are full of transitory stages. We experienced them when we changed grades, started working, had kids, and during countless other scenarios. These transitions may become less frequent with age, but they don’t disappear altogether. Retirement and loss are two specific transition periods we’ll experience, and it can be challenging to navigate such monumental changes on our own, especially if it’s the loss of a spouse. Counseling can help people process each change and determine what path they need to take to ensure the transition doesn’t weigh them down. Setbacks Challenges can continue to pop up during our senior years. You could fall and experience an injury that makes it difficult to move around your house, or you have to act as a caregiver for the person you love more than anything else in the world. These situations can shake us to our core, making us question our strength and options. Counseling can provide emotional resilience, allowing us to power through and grow from these experiences.
We shouldn’t view speaking with a counselor or therapist as a weakness. It could be the best thing for your mental health and fortitude, especially as you grow older.
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SECURE YOUR FUTURE TODAY
The Power of Early Estate Planning
Starting your estate planning early might not sound like the most exciting thing, but it’s one of the smartest decisions you can make. Whether you’re in your 30s and just bought your first home, in your 40s raising kids, or in your 50s thinking about retirement, having a solid estate plan gives you and your loved ones a priceless gift: peace of mind. Control Over Your Wishes One of the most significant advantages of early estate planning is control. You have the opportunity to decide exactly how your assets will be distributed, who will care for your children if something happens to you, and who will make decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to do so. Without a plan, those decisions could be left to the courts, and the outcome might not reflect what you would have wanted.
transition of assets to your beneficiaries. Starting early allows you time to structure your plan wisely and avoid future headaches. Adaptation to Life Changes The earlier you start, the more flexibility you have. Life doesn’t stand still — marriages, divorces, new children or grandchildren, job changes, and new properties can all affect your estate. Beginning early gives you a solid foundation you can tweak as needed, instead of scrambling to build something from scratch during a crisis. Tax Minimization While not everyone faces estate taxes, for those who do, early planning can help minimize them. A financial and legal advisor can help structure gifts, trusts, and charitable donations in ways that
preserve more of your wealth for your loved ones instead of the IRS. And even for smaller estates, planning ahead helps with income and capital gains tax implications that often get overlooked. Family Conflict Avoidance When a loved one passes without a clear plan, confusion and differing expectations can lead to arguments or legal battles between family members. By outlining your wishes clearly and legally, you minimize misunderstandings and help ensure a smoother, more unified transition. Peace of Mind Ultimately, the most significant advantage is peace of mind. Knowing your wishes will be honored, your loved ones will be cared for, and your legacy will be preserved brings a sense of comfort that’s difficult to put a price tag on.
Protection for Your Loved Ones If you have young children, planning early is especially important. A well-crafted estate plan allows you to name a guardian for your kids, create trusts to manage their inheritance responsibly, and ensure your family is cared for no matter what happens. Even if your estate isn’t large, the structure and guidance you leave behind can make a huge difference. Probate Hassle Avoidance Another key benefit of early estate planning is avoiding probate, a time-consuming, public, and expensive legal process. Strategies like creating a revocable living trust can keep your estate out of probate court and ensure a smoother
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WHEN CHICKENS CALLED THE SHOTS THE BIZARRE BATTLE RITUALS OF ANCIENT ROME
When you think of ancient Roman warfare, you probably picture armored legions, powerful generals, and grand strategy. What you might not picture is a group of chickens playing a vital role in battle decisions. But believe it or not, sacred chickens were once the military advisors of the Roman Republic — and what they had to say (or rather, eat) could determine the fate of an entire campaign. These weren’t just any chickens. Known as the sacred chickens of Rome, they were kept and consulted by priests, called augurs, who specialized in interpreting the will of the gods. These priests didn’t just observe the sky or animal behavior — they observed the chickens’ eating behaviors. Before a military campaign or major political decision, augurs would scatter feed in front of the sacred chickens and closely watch how they ate. If the birds pecked enthusiastically, spilling grain from their beaks, it was seen as a good omen and a green light for action. If the chickens refused to eat or acted uninterested, the message was clear: Don’t proceed. The gods were not in favor. One of the most infamous stories involving these chickens came in 249 BCE during the First Punic War. Roman naval commander
Publius Claudius Pulcher wanted to attack the Carthaginians, but the chickens gave a bad omen by refusing to eat. Pulcher, annoyed by their lack of cooperation, reportedly threw the birds overboard, saying, “If they won’t eat, let them drink!” Unfortunately for him, his fleet suffered a devastating defeat shortly afterward — a loss many blamed on his disrespect for the sacred ritual.
It might sound ridiculous today, but in ancient Rome, religion, superstition, and
state affairs were deeply intertwined. Consulting omens was spiritually and politically expected. Ignoring them could spark public outrage or be viewed as inviting divine punishment.
The sacred chickens are a strange reminder of how even the most powerful empires often relied on symbols and rituals that seem bizarre by today’s standards. Whether you believe in signs or not, one thing is clear — in Rome, you didn’t mess with the chickens.
Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak
Ingredients
Inspired by TheShortOrderCook.com
• 1/4 tsp black pepper • 1/4 tsp ginger powder • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Marinade • 2/3 cup red wine • 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
• 1/3 cup brown sugar • 1/4 cup sesame oil • 1 tbsp sesame seeds • 1 tsp minced garlic
Meat • 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
Directions
1. In a large bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. 2. Place the flank steak in a large, rimmed dish. Pour the marinade over the meat. 3. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 15 minutes. Flip and let marinate for another 15 minutes. 4. Preheat grill to 400 F. 5. Add the meat to the grill and cook for 3–5 minutes on each side. Leave the grill lid open to avoid overcooking. 6. For a medium-rare steak, remove from grill at 130 F internally, and for medium, remove at 140 F. 7. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 5–10 minutes. Then, slice against the grain into thin pieces and enjoy!
TAKE A BREAK
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59 N. 4th St. Zanesville, Ohio 43701
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The Role of Counseling in Healthy Aging
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Get Ahead of Life’s Surprises With a Rock-Solid Estate Plan
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Sacred Clucks and Roman Conquests Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak
One Dog’s Daring Escape Uncovered a Nightmare
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Jailbreak for Justice HOW A SENIOR HOUND’S ESCAPE CHANGED DOZENS OF LIVES
When a 10-year-old basset hound fled from her neglectful home, she didn’t just rescue herself from abuse and poor conditions; she ended up saving more than 30 other animals from unimaginable suffering. Hero, as she’s since been named, was in bad shape when animal rescuers first discovered her. Emaciated and dirty, her overgrown nails had twisted, making it painful for her to walk. She had a painful bladder infection and heartworms. Despite the pain she was in, she made a daring escape, and her ID tag led animal control to a house of horrors. Officers found 36 other dogs, a chicken, and a cat at the location, suffering from various ailments and signs of abuse. Some animals lived in small, dirty cages; others had injuries and signs of malnutrition. All of them were dirty and had a medical issue of some kind. It was clear they needed help. The Humane Society of Concord took in 15 of the dogs, including Hero, and other local rescues housed the rest. When the sad story of these neglected dogs reached the community, people heard the call and donated funds to help cover their medical and care costs.
If it had not been for Hero’s life-saving feat, there’s no telling what would have become of her furry friends. The shelter that named her Hero even gave her a last name, Salvare, which means to save and protect. They described her as “a friendly girl with the softness of a sweet old lady” who deserved a quiet home as she recovered. Hero has since found her forever home and was adopted the next day after the shelter searched for a new owner. Thanks to the kind and persevering hound, many other dogs from the home have also been adopted. “Despite Hero’s sad backstory, she’s proof that dogs are resilient creatures that only show love that is unconditional,” the shelter wrote. Hero may have started as a victim, but she ended a chapter of abuse as a rescuer. Her quiet bravery saved her and transformed the lives of dozens of others, proving that even in the darkest places, hope can come on four legs and floppy ears.
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