What can we look to during these fraught times to keep our hope alive? Fred Rogers reminded us to “look for the helpers,” and there are four particular people who come to mind who fit that definition. They have contributed so much to our world for nearly a century, and those who are still with us have no plans to stop anytime soon. As vital programs and cultural institutions are being eliminated throughout the country, much like the superheroes during the climax of “Avengers: Infinity War,” it is more important for me than ever to elevate people who understand the value in embracing humanity.
One is Deborah Szekely, the Godmother of Health and Wellness, and the co-founder of the health resorts Rancho La Puerta and the Golden Door. I have often sung her praises, and I recently had an opportunity to do it again on her 103rd birthday, this past Saturday, May 3. The indomitable spirit she exuded was no different from what I observed from her on the day she turned 100. Or indeed the indomitable spirit I observed forty years ago when I first met her, when she was 60+ years old! In between, she has done so much, including starting a philanthropic organization to help give back to the town of Tecate, Mexico, from which she said she has received so much. Her get-up-and-go is so inspiring to me.
When I asked what her plans were for the week ahead, she told me that she was planning on returning to her spa to give one of her endlessly insightful lectures. “Optimism against all odds is how things get done in this topsy-turvy world,” she told me on her 100th birthday, and I couldn’t agree more.
Last year, Ms. Szekely joined us in Chicago for the premiere of a documentary I directed about her called “Wellness Warrior.” During an interview after the screening of the film, she emphasized looking around to see how we can help others. That is something I want to take to heart.
Warren Buffett, who presided as CEO at the recent annual board meeting of his company, Berkshire Hathaway, in Omaha, is another inspiration. Though he surprised many by announcing his plans to retire at the end of the year, recommending Vice Chairman Greg Abel to take his place, that’s not bad for someone 94 years of age. Buffett voiced optimism for the future of the markets despite the negative impact of the current administration’s tariffs. I have no doubt he will continue to be one of our most invaluable sources of economic wisdom even after he passes the torch to his successor. (And by the way, Greg Abel is considered very “able” to take his place. At the Annual Meeting, many were singing Abel’s praises.)
Buffett also made headlines when he pledged to give away most of his wealth, and he is known for his quiet philanthropic efforts. “My needs are simple,” he has said,” What made me happy at 40 makes me happy at 90.” At the meeting last weekend, Buffett said that he learned when he was very young that he was good with numbers and liked them. So his life’s work was also something that brought him pleasure. That and his family. We should all be so fortunate as to find out what we are good at, and what we love, and continue to do it until we are 94!
I grew up in Chicago loving the blues, and going to see great bluesmen in person, either at the Regal Theater, or when I was older, at nightclubs. My favorites were Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Albert King, and Buddy Guy. Almost all of them have now departed this earth. So imagine how thrilled I was that among the great surprises in Ryan Coogler’s hit new movie, “Sinners,” is the pivotal scene it gives to Chicago’s own blues legend Buddy Guy after its initial end credits have materialized onscreen.
In his conversation with Robert Daniels about the movie, Odie Henderson noted, “Seeing Buddy Guy in the mid-credits sequence was just another way Coogler reinforced his earlier scene of musical transcendence. The blues will never die because, like our history, it’s an oral tradition just waiting to be passed down to the next generation.” His performance of the film’s memorable song “Travelin’” served as a fitting capper for a film celebrating Black culture at a time when it is continuously being threatened with erasure.
Buddy Guy said that he is almost 90 years old and that he isn’t ready to hang up his guitar yet. That is indeed good news.
Blues music has meant so much to the culture for many years; it inspires empathy. Empathy is not an enemy of society, as some high-profile pundits have recently suggested, but one of our greatest tools in preserving the future of our species. I have hope that all that has been removed over the first months of 2025 will return just as our heroes did in “Avengers: Endgame.” And I am beyond grateful, in the meantime, to bask in the wisdom of sages like Warren Buffett, Deborah Szekely, and Buddy Guy, who are pointing the way toward a better and brighter future.
And of course I would be remiss if I didn’t add a nod to one of the biggest proponents of Empathy and Compassion—Pope Francis. He made his last trip among the people in Rome on Easter Day, before he passed away quietly in his sleep at the age of 88. Today, May 7, is the convening of the Papal Conclave to elect his successor. All of the major television stations are airing the gathering of the Cardinals before they go into seclusion. The question is whether the Conclave will elect someone like Pope Francis who revered Mother Mary, washed the feet of prisoners, ministered to those on the margins of society, preached a gospel of inclusion and empathy, lived a life of simplicity and adherence to his faith, and opened the Church to more roles for women (though not yet in the top role).
Or will they elect a more conservative and traditional successor who will be a “course correction,” as some call it. Will we have the first American Pope, the first African Pope, or the first Pope from the Philippines? All of the speculation is at a fever pitch, even exemplified by betting sites where one can place a bet on the next Pope. One of the most interesting parts of this is that the TV announcers are also debating in earnest about the qualities one hopes to find in a Pope. And we don’t hear enough about principles of what makes a good person or a good leader. That is refreshing. And continuing the theme of inspiring elders in our society, the Papal process is one where a person 60 years old is considered too young!
