Commentary

Just a few weeks removed from the biggest meet of his life, Khoi Young has seen the clips of his medal-winning vaults and pommel horse routine many, many times. In one sense, it is a dream fulfilled: He’s the first American men’s gymnast to earn three medals (two silvers and a team bronze) at a single World Championships in 20 years. But the adventure still feels dream-like. When Young watches his spins, his flips, his steely confidence throughout his final runs in Belgium against the world’s best, it’s an uncanny experience.

Howard County boasts the highest median family income in Maryland. Its unemployment rate is tied for the state’s lowest, its school system consistently earns top reviews, and Columbia, Maryland’s first planned community, was recently designated by WalletHub as the nation’s second safest city. To top it all off, there’s the home equity bottom line: Buying real estate has turned out to be a terrific investment in Howard County, with the median sale prices of homes averaging abound $725,000 — or $200,000 more than just four years ago, the biggest jump in all of Maryland.

Last week, a dear friend shared how she told her 94-year-old Jewish mother about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. After pouring two cups of coffee, she sat with her mother at the kitchen table and broke the news. Her mother crumbled and wept. “Again?” she asked, almost in disbelief. “Again?” That one word captured the unspeakable horror. Again.

When I woke up on the morning of Saturday, October 7, to the news of the invasion of Israel, and the reports of civilians slaughtered, it was clear that this time was different. As the stories on the ground continued to unfold, I was shocked at the pure evil and barbarism that had occurred. During the next few days, we learned about the scale of the atrocities — of the babies and children murdered at point-blank range; of young adults at a music festival gunned down, kidnapped and raped; and of families missing or massacred by Hamas terrorists.

As Baltimore’s regional leaders continue efforts to build better communities, we must extend our lens and seek out best practices wherever they might be. This month, more than 70 leaders in government, civic organizations, health care, philanthropy and more traveled to Minneapolis and St. Paul for a three-day immersion in the Twin Cities, a region that is rightly proud of its accomplishments.

As a palliative medicine specialist who often deals with patients nearing the end of life, I have been carefully trained in the art of delivering bad news. The conversations require a mix of compassion and firmness. They are always difficult and often heartbreaking, but they are necessary to prepare patients and to help them face the end. At least that’s what we’re taught in our training; however, I have since learned that not every patient is better off accepting death.