Things Remembered - July 12, 2026

The case for putting your phone down this summer

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Trading Screen Time for Green Time

I still remember the sound of my kids’ summers: the screen door banging shut, over and over, all day long as they raced to adventures big and small. These days I wonder how much of that sound has been replaced by the chirp of a phone.

At Worth Media Group’s recent Living Well conference, two psychologists helped me understand why. One compared a smartphone to a cigarette. The other had a name for what happens when we look up instead — she calls it “green time.”

👉 Ready to put the phone down?

Lessons From the Orchards of Oregon

Looking back over five decades, I still smile at one of the biggest surprises of my career: the day I realized I’d become a farmer.

Harry & David began more than 90 years ago when two brothers started sharing pears from their family orchards in Oregon’s Rogue Valley. After more than a decade of hoping, we finally brought the brand into our family in 2014. I never expected to find myself tracking snowpack in southwest Oregon, but that’s exactly where the journey led.

👉 How a kid from Queens became a farmer

In this week’s Celebrate Your Story , I sit down with Jason Eichenholz — a technology entrepreneur holding more than 85 patents — to talk about Jonathan’s Landing, the inclusive community he’s building for adults with autism and other neurodiverse individuals, inspired by his son Jonathan. We get into the “services cliff” families face as children with autism reach adulthood, and how entrepreneurship can meet it. Watch now.

In Power & Impact, I talk with former Xerox CEO Steve Bandrowczak about leading through change — and why the companies that get AI right will be the ones led by people who know how to help others adapt, not just the ones with the sharpest technology. Hear his story.

MISSED IT LIVE? Last week I hosted another LinkedIn Live, sharing stories from 50 years of building 1-800-Flowers.com — the moments that shaped our company, the lessons I’ve learned, and the people who made the journey possible. If you couldn’t join live, the replay is ready whenever you are. Watch the replay.

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? Some of the best Celebrations Pulse stories have come from readers. If there’s a life transition, family tradition, celebration, or community story you’d like me to explore, I’d love to hear from you.