I am intrigued by the letters that subscribers write to the young generation and am moved emotionally by many of them. For half a century, I practiced pediatrics with an emphasis on adolescents and learned many life lessons from them. So many, in fact, that today I want to spin the “What would I tell…

Dear Next Generation: You have been witnessing a cheap, dollar store version of love in our current culture. From TV shows to music to popular magazines—what is portrayed looks like the most fantastic love, but in the end, it’s only a fantasy. It isn’t real. The quality of our lives is based upon the quality…

Dear Next Generation: Several years ago, I caught a flight out of California to attend a funeral back east. During the final leg of my trip, I pulled out a business magazine I had purchased during a layover. An article featuring advice from several leading business giants caught my eye—especially one story in particular. The…

I am in my 76th year, married for 47 years to my soulmate, with two children, of whom I am immensely proud, and three beautiful grandchildren, all of whom live within walking distance of our home. My formative years were spent in England, a country vividly displaying the physical and psychological effects of a world…

Every time someone graduates, I include a list of my own pearls of wisdom in the card with the check. These are two of my favorites. “Be the Leader of Yourself.” If you do this, then you will not be persuaded to do something reckless, stupid, or illegal. You will always pause and use every…

My late father gave me this pithy advice while in college, and it has stuck with me some 70 years: “Don’t tell me about your I.Q. Show me your ‘I did!’” Christopher J. Hoey Florida _________ Let me begin by telling you some things about me and my family. I am 72 years old (older…

Dear Next Generation, Your generation receives endless messages about how important it is to arrange your circumstances to suit you, and you are told that this will make you happy. You are told to resent authority and worship your dreams. You are told that you should be “heard,” even if it means silencing others. You…

When my son was 4 years old, he loved all things “construction” and was in his glory when he received a yellow plastic dump truck for his birthday. Jumping up and down excitedly, he begged me to take him to the park right away. At the sandbox, his eyes sparkled with delight as he made…

Wisdom of the Ages: I am 68 years old this past November and I would like to pass on some of the things I learned growing up. When we were little, I can remember my brother, sister, and I had chores to do every day and on weekends. Everyday chores were making your bed in…

I’m the oldest of 11 children. After child number nine was born, my father was struck by severe rheumatoid arthritis. It wasn’t long before many of his joints were frozen and his fingers were twisted and immobile. He lived in excruciating pain, from his jaw down to his toes. His inability to work for over…