It always surprises me when new information about the aging process comes my way and a previously puzzling situation suddenly makes sense. I call it the “aha” moment. This week’s “aha” moment, which involved my father-in-law, occurred as I read an article titled “Hearing Loss, Undiagnosed and Undertreated,” in a journal called Today’s Geriatric Medicine. I met my husband’s father, Danny, when he was about 65 years old. He was lovely man, a kind soul whom I grew to love dearly. Upon meeting him, the first thing that would strike you about Danny was his love for cigars. He always has a cigar in this mouth. He’d been a cigar smoker for many years. My husband tells me his childhood winters in New Jersey were brutal—not because of the weather, but because the house was sealed tight and cigar smoke filled every room. The other thing that was obvious about Danny was his hearing loss. His speech patterns were off, the volume on his TV set and car radio was very loud, and he hearing...