Several years ago, my niece, Nicole, called to ask a favor. This is something she rarely does. Nicole is a talented and smart physical therapist. She is so smart, in fact, that she earned a seven-year degree in six. In science. The only ancestors in my family who knew anything about science used that knowledge to make moonshine. And, to be honest, they didnât realize science had anything to do with fermenting. Nicole, also a terrifically compassionate person, has a particularly tender heart for older patients. She loves their stories, appreciates their wisdom, and treats them with the respectful health care they have earned.