Page 4 - Rolling Stone April 2016

Buddy the Compassionate Squirrel?
By Buddy the Squirrel, Friend of Steven Turner Walker Mortuary
Last month I wrote about a new emotion I had, compas- sion, and I was anxious to see if it was a fleeting feeling or a permanent fixture. Well, the truth is...I care! I care about the people I see come to our building and I care about some of the other squirrels and I even care about some other ani- mals. My feelings have changed for cats in particular. I always thought they were good for one thing and one thing only...to taunt. As fun as taunting and teasing those pussy footed creatures are, I have discovered I’m rather fond of some of them.
I’ve heard my friend Steve repeat some phrases in the past, (usually directed at my mischievous acts and I cannot repeat those), but I recall one that he often shared and I didn’t understand the point ...but I do now. He would sometimes say, “You don’t miss the water ‘til the well’s gone dry.” Well duh, I mean of course you miss the water when there isn’t any, but now as I have lost a couple of my own fun loving, game playing companions, I think I know what Steve means.
He has this beautiful building that people visit. Sometimes I just sit and watch as I’m munching on my imported nuts, at times I see people going in with tears, but somehow after talking to Steve and his staff, they leave with smiles. I won- dered what is going on in there. So I decided to sit at the windows and really pay attention. I have concluded that this is a place of ‘end of life” visitors. People come and hug and show love to each other and it seems they help each other feel good. When they leave there is a different air about them, as when they came in. This is a good building!
I have also learned that before people say good bye...they often have a story written in the papers about their loved one. I think it is called an obituary. Well, Steve and his wife have so much love of animals, they wanted a crematorium nearby that was dignified and respectful so people could say good bye to their precious pets. In fact, the idea came from their beloved cat Miranda, who lived for 24 years. I never met this cat, but Steve still mentions her at times. So with my new found compassion and the good example of my friend Steve and his wife, I have instituted, “Buddy Pauses for Lost
Cont. on page 6, Buddy
Social Security Column
myRA AND my SOCIAL SECURITY CAN
HELP SECURE YOUR RETIREMENT
By Colleen Edwards Social Security District Manager in Freeport, IL
Achieving financial security is an important part of enjoying a satisfying retirement. Social Security has many tools to help you plan for your future.
A great first step is to visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. With a my Social Security account, you’ll get immediate access to your personal Social Security Statement, your earnings record, and an estimate of your retirement benefits at age 62, at your full retirement age, and at age 70. You can also verify your earnings are correct, since we base your future benefits on your earnings record.
When you open a my Social Security account, we protect your information by using strict identity verification and security fea- tures. The application process has built-in features to detect fraud and confirm your identity. Your personal my Social Security account can help you figure out how much more you might want to save for your future, but it can do a whole lot more. For example, in the District of Columbia and several states, you can request a replacement Social Security card online — find out if you can at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnum- ber.
In addition to using your personal my Social Security account, you can prepare for a secure, comfortable retirement by visiting www.myra.gov. There, you’ll find myRA, a new retirement sav- ings option from the Department of the Treasury for the mil- lions of Americans who face barriers to saving for retirement. myRA is a simple and secure way to help you take control of your future.
myRA makes it easy and affordable to start saving for retire- ment, even if you can save only a little bit right now. It’s designed for people who don't have a retirement savings plan through work, or lack other options for saving. If you already have access to a retirement savings plan, such as a 401(k), learn more about that plan because it might offer matching contribu- tions or other benefits.
myRA helps workers grow their money faster than they can with most traditional savings accounts, and there’s no risk. Since it’s not tied to a particular employer, workers can hold on to their myRA account when they move from one job to another.
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