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June 2026
APPLAUSE AND AFTERGLOW THE QUIET POWER OF PERFORMING
took voice lessons for years. I also tested my courage by performing in improv comedy groups and as a stand- up comedian. I loved it. Performing instills discipline. I once had a choir director who said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect!” In piano
WORKSHOP Have you (or your clients) “been meaning” to get a plan in place? It’s easy to get started with our 7 Hazards to Your Estate Plan Workshop . This free workshop explains the key planning concepts, documents, and factors in selecting a plan that is right for you. Plus, workshop participants receive a complimentary consultation with no obligation to retain our services. The workshop is available on demand or in person, so stop thinking about a plan and create one. Register online at PromiseLaw.com/Estate-Planning- Workshop or call (757) 351-4017. I began, as a child, to savor the pressure of watching people watch me , hoping I wouldn’t screw up. I started taking ballet lessons at about 4 or 5 years old. Through middle school, I continued learning en pointe , tap, and jazz dance. I also played the viola, clarinet, and piano, and performed in concerts and juried recitals. As an adult, I My husband and I visited my childhood home a couple of years ago, and the people who live there were kind enough to let us enter and look around. Just inside the entryway of that 1800s-era Wyoming homestead stands a huge mirror about 5 feet high by 4 feet wide. It rests on a solid wooden base about 2 feet tall and a foot deep … just wide enough for a child to step up and stand on. I was a kid who loved being front and center, and as far back as I can remember, that mirror was my stage. It was where I could get in front of an imaginary audience and perform. It even had classical wooden pillars on each side that I would work into my performance, for dramatic effect. As we celebrate World Juggling Day on June 20, a time to honor hidden talents of all types, I’m thinking about how performing for others has always been my own quiet gift.
recitals, I received feedback not only on the music I made, but on my form, such as whether I held my hands in a relaxed, curved shape. Performing also demands resilience. In stand-up comedy, not every joke or set lands well. I suffered through a couple of horrible performances that left me feeling devastated. I had to learn to pick myself up and start again. Nevertheless, I still to this day love to perform, singing in my church choir and speaking to groups, from 4–5 people in a church basement to an audience of 1,000 at a respected nonprofit, Equality Virginia. I enjoy the way performing takes us outside our own little monkey brains, away from constant worry and agonizing over things we can’t change or can’t resolve, and into an arena where we have some measure of control and intention. I still welcome that state of intense mental focus. And I’m sure that the time I spent looking at myself in that mirror in my childhood home, playing around, singing, and dancing, is one reason.
It’s just exhilarating when you know you’ve nailed it! You can feel the audience’s appreciation, and you feel great! And for me, that is enough.
–Geneva N. Perry, Esq.
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DATA, DRAMA, AND DEADLINES THE FIGHT OVER TIKTOK’S FUTURE
Social media has become an essential part of our lives. While platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X have brought incredible benefits, there’s no denying they pose complications, especially for platforms that didn’t originate in the U.S. This is something TikTok users know all too well. Before we can assess TikTok’s current situation, we need to take a moment to explore the platform’s past. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, was founded in China in March 2012. Four years later, the company would release Douyin, a video-sharing app exclusively for Chinese users. This app became so popular that ByteDance launched an international version: TikTok. TikTok had its first run-in with the U.S. legal system in February 2019, when it paid a $5.7 million fine for violating U.S. child-privacy laws. In 2019, politicians began sharing their concerns. They noticed issues with content moderation, where videos that referenced topics sensitive to China were being erased or hidden. Our government called for a federal investigation and a national security probe into TikTok. By December, the Pentagon encouraged all military personnel to delete TikTok from their devices. “TikTok has stood the test of time and survived ban attempts, legal battles, and concerned Americans — but experts argue that this solution did not actually solve the problem and that users’ data remains at risk.”
Everything started to unravel in 2020. Privacy groups argued that TikTok was still violating U.S. child-protection laws, other countries began banning the platform, and President Trump issued an executive order banning American companies from any transactions with ByteDance and its subsidiaries. He also demanded that ByteDance remove itself from TikTok’s U.S. operations. When former President Joe Biden took office, he postponed the legal cases, and TikTok grew to new levels. In June 2022, BuzzFeed reported that employees of the China-based ByteDance had accessed the nonpublic information of TikTok users. By December, the FBI director was raising national security concerns about the platform. After many discussions and hearings, a bill to ban TikTok or force its sale to a U.S. company was drafted, passed, and signed by Biden. TikTok sued the U.S. federal government over the bill, but it was upheld by every court, including the Supreme Court in TikTok, Inc. v. Garland . TikTok looked like it was on its way out when President Trump threatened to ban the app. Then, while campaigning for his second term, he shifted his stance and even promised not to ban the platform. Once elected, he signed a 75-day extension. He followed this up with two more extensions. As of January 2026, the U.S. version of TikTok is 80% owned by non-Chinese investors, mainly Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, while ByteDance still owns the remaining 19.9%. TikTok has stood the test of time and survived ban attempts, legal battles, and concerned Americans. While this sounds like a step in the right direction, experts argue that this solution did not actually solve the problem and that users’ data remains at risk.
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TAKE A BREAK
Beach Burgers Cycling Father Juneteenth Music
You know that little voice in your head that keeps asking, “Am I happy enough?” What if that voice is actually sabotaging your joy? It sounds counterintuitive. After all, doesn’t paying attention to our happiness help us live better lives? Maybe not. Recent psychological research suggests that fixating on how happy we are can backfire, leaving us more dissatisfied than if we simply let life unfold. In a series of studies involving more than 1,800 people, psychologists found that the problem isn’t wanting happiness, it’s judging your current happiness level. Participants who frequently evaluated how happy they were tended to report lower overall life satisfaction and more depressive symptoms than those who didn’t constantly monitor their emotional state. Part of the issue is that when you focus on measuring happiness, positive moments can feel disappointing if they don’t meet your internal expectations. Lead researcher Felicia Zerwas, Ph.D., explains that our culture’s pressure to be happy all the time can fuel fears that we’re not living up to some invisible standard. This concern turns otherwise enjoyable experiences into opportunities for self-critique rather than appreciation. Interestingly, the studies showed that pursuing happiness as a goal didn’t hurt well-being. It was the constant judgment of one’s happiness that mattered most. In other words, you can value joy without constantly grading your feelings. So, here’s the takeaway: Happiness isn’t a scoreboard to update every minute. Letting yourself feel without overthinking it might just lead to more genuine contentment. Instead of asking “Am I happy?” try asking “What am I experiencing right now?” and let life unfold a little more freely. It Might Be Making You Miserable STOP GRADING YOUR HAPPINESS
Pearl Pride Refugee Sailing Solstice Waterski
BLT Chopped Salad
Salad • 8 slices thick-cut bacon (about 9 oz) • 1/2 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) • Hot water • 8 cups chopped kale, stems removed • 1/4 tsp kosher salt • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved • 1 1/2 cup sweet corn • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese Ingredients
• 1/4 cup finely
chopped green or red onion
Dressing • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 3/4 tsp smoked paprika • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Directions 1. Bake bacon at 400 F until crisp, then pat dry, cool, and chop. 2. Submerge sun-dried tomatoes in very hot water for a few minutes, then drain and pat dry. 3. Place kale in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt, and massage until darker and tender (about 2 minutes). 4. Add sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, corn, bacon, feta, and onion. 5. Combine all dressing ingredients, mix well, then drizzle over salad and toss. 6. Chill 15 minutes if desired, or serve right away.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Where Nerves Become Joy: The Magic of Performing for Others
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Inside TikTok’s Fight to Stay in the U.S.
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BLT Chopped Salad
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Joy Isn’t a Scorecard; Stop Keeping Score
A Midlife Sabbatical Can Transform Your Next Chapter RECHARGE BEFORE YOU RETIRE
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Take a Sabbatical and Reignite Your Passion
We work hard in our careers for decades, only planning to rest when we finally reach the milestone of retirement. But what if we could push pause sooner and experience the freedom and
benefits of a break in our 50s, instead of hustling until we burn out? A sabbatical is like a mini-retirement that lets you travel or pursue your personal interests without fully leaving the workforce. These temporary getaways allow you to take a much-needed mental break, recharge, and evaluate what you want next from your career or the golden years ahead. This time off not only helps people explore a different side of themselves but also leaves them energized and ready to return to work with fresh skills and renewed enthusiasm. For many, a sabbatical is a practice run for retirement, letting you visit a new location you may want to move to after your working years are through.
Having that time away from the office can help you pinpoint areas of your job that no longer make you happy, without the financial pressures that come with stepping away full time. It can be so rewarding that it becomes the final push you need to retire or find a renewed passion for your work. More and more employers are offering paid sabbatical leave. But, if your company doesn’t, plan to save at least 3–6 months of expenses to take your own and cover your time away from work. You don’t have to wait until the end of your career to take that dream trip or give yourself an extended break. A sabbatical can be the pause that changes everything.
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