The Optimist: As a child, she wrote to a WWII vet. He carried the letter everywhere, and 12 years later, they finally met.

How to actually make your travel better for the planet; Quinceañeras in the time of Covid-19: A coming-of-age celebration marches on; How teens can reignite friendships as they return to school; There was no late-night talk show guest quite like Norm Macdonald; With 10-hour rehearsals and buckets of ice, dancers prepare to retake Broadway stage; How housing that mixes young and old can improve the lives of both; Britain, nationalism and the complicated joy of vacationing in your own country; Padma Lakshmi has a new kids' book — and a fresh pandemic perspective; Bathed in a kaleidoscope of color, these photos raise the curtain on the theatricality of New York's subway ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Stories that inspire.     (Vitalia Senior Residences at Strongsville) As a child, she wrote to a WWII vet. He carried the letter everywhere, and 12 years later, they finally met. When they met for the first time, they both broke down in tears. Dashauna Priest, 21, embraced her pen pal Frank Grasberger, 95. By Sydney Page ●  Read more »   How to actually make your travel better for the planet We know travel adds to climate change, but how can we help mitigate the problem? Climate experts weigh in. By Natalie B. Compton ●  Read more »   Quinceañeras in the time of Covid-19: A coming-of-age celebration marches on The parties are smaller. Vaccines required or encouraged. And the dresses sometimes face shipping delays. But a hallmark celebration for Latina teens put on pause last year due to the pandemic has resumed. By Paulina Villegas ●  Read more »   How teens can reignite friendships as they return to school Experts say friendships can be a buffer against feelings of isolation and despair. By Heidi Borst ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   There was no late-night talk show guest quite like Norm Macdonald After the comedian's death on Tuesday, his peers remembered his off-kilter genius on late-night TV — a fraction of the tributes that poured out for him this week. By Travis M. Andrews ●  Read more »   Get breaking news alerts, offline reading lists and more. Download the app   With 10-hour rehearsals and buckets of ice, dancers prepare to retake Broadway stage Performers in such dance-centric shows as "The Lion King," "Chicago" and "Hamilton" are flexing an inner strength while they relearn the steps they haven't done in 18 months. By Sarah L. Kaufman ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   How housing that mixes young and old can improve the lives of both In bringing together two traditionally isolated groups, intergenerational living can cultivate a sense of purpose, boost mental health and help keep seniors active. By Matt Fuchs ●  Read more »   Britain, nationalism and the complicated joy of vacationing in your own country He'd always believed you have to leave home for a delightful holiday. The pandemic made him reconsider. From the Magazine ●  By Henry Wismayer ●  Read more »   Padma Lakshmi has a new kids' book — and a fresh pandemic perspective "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi talks about her new cookbook, Twitter clapbacks and pandemic lessons. By Emily Heil ●  Read more »   Bathed in a kaleidoscope of color, these photos raise the curtain on the theatricality of New York's subway David Rothenberg spent two years photographing people coming and going from Roosevelt Station in the New York borough of Queens. Perspective ●  By Kenneth Dickerman ●  Read more »     We think you'll like this newsletter Check out Must Reads for a curated selection of our best journalism in your inbox every Saturday, plus a peek behind the scenes into how one story came together. Sign up »

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