So I saw this BBC article yesterday entitled "Learning second language 'slows brain ageing.'" Yes, that's how they spelled it. It's the BBC. But that's not the point. It's not the first time I've heard such claims, but this study indicated that it doesn't matter if that second language is acquired in childhood or adulthood, which is good news for adults everywhere.

Of course, we've all heard the old joke: What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual. Two? Bilingual. What about only one? Well, that would be an American. So, it's high time to dust off those old Spanish and French textbooks. Not only can you potentially slow your own brain "ageing," you might improve US dementia statistics. I wonder if knowing British spelling counts as a second language?

Sometimes people ask me if I dream in other languages. The answer is yes, all the time. Mostly Russian, sometimes Hebrew. Sometimes even French, though I don't really speak a lick. Go figure that one out. But even with three languages, I figure I'm already ahead of the curve. Meanwhile, my grandmother, it's said, spoke five: Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German, and English.

But if learning languages isn't your thing, there's still hope. You can always try what my husband's grandmother did, instead. Whenever asked about the secret to her longevity, she always replied that it was the handful of chocolate chips she ate every single day. The dear old lady lived to be 100, and she was sharp as a tack until the very end. No joke.

Anyway, happy Shavuot, all! That's Pentecost, to you English speakers. Or are you really Greek speakers in disguise?