James Ellars Official

It’s been a tense stretch for our country, and a lot of us have been carrying that worry around — in the checkout line, at the dinner table, in those quiet moments before bed. So this week brought a piece of news many of us have been hoping to hear: after a long round of talks in Switzerland, the United States and Iran agreed on a roadmap to wind the war down, and Iran agreed to let international inspectors back in to keep an eye on its nuclear program.

It’s not a finished deal, and we should be honest about that. Most Americans say they want this war over, and plenty of folks aren’t convinced we came out ahead. But after months of headlines that made our stomachs drop, the simple fact that people are sitting at a table and talking instead of fighting feels like something worth holding onto. Peace usually starts exactly this way — quietly, imperfectly, one conversation at a time.

Closer to home, we’re keeping an eye on the economy, because that’s the news that shows up in our paychecks. Business leaders are feeling cautious right now, and some companies are talking about slower hiring this summer. If you’re job hunting or watching your budget, know that you’re not imagining it — and you’re far from alone. These are the seasons when neighbors look out for neighbors, and we’ve gotten through tighter ones before.

And here’s a bit of good news to tuck in your pocket: a new study from Yale found that nearly half of adults over 65 actually got better over time — stronger in body, sharper in mind, or both. So much for the idea that getting older only means slowing down. It’s a good reminder that the story isn’t written yet, for any of us.