letter from publisher
HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET
I
t was a Monday morning and no one in the house wanted to get out of bed. By the time all four of us made it out the door (about 10 minutes behind schedule), I was grateful that everyone had clothes on and lunches in their backpacks. But that sense of gratitude escaped me when my big toe was stabbed by the sharp kickstand of a bike that was in my way. With Thatch (5) by my side, the inappropriate words in my head came out censored in the form of an abstract sound. That unexpected pain immediately altered my mood. “Why is the bike even here? It’s not even ours!” I said in frustration as I moved it out of our path. And then there was the giant rug that had been delivered to our carport over the weekend by mistake. “I can’t even pick this up by myself, let alone fit it into my tiny car to return it!” I continued ranting as Thatch sat patiently on his bike waiting for me to finish. Once we made it out of our driveway on our bikes, my bad attitude continued to fester as we waited longer than usual (most likely because we were late) to find a break in the traffic for us to cross the street and be on our way. As I scanned left and right repeatedly, I hoped I’d see a kind driver willing to stop for us, but something else caught my eye instead—the moon. When we see the moon in the morning, it’s usually small and faint, but this time it looked like a big white ball floating in the sky, perfectly framed by the neighborhood treetops. Suddenly I felt dwarfed by a nature-inspired sense of awe and my worries seemed insignificant. We eventually crossed the busy road to start our commute, but as we were climbing a hill about halfway to school, Thatch’s backpack fell off my bike. Par for the course that morning, it would have been easy to return to a place of frustration, but instead I just laughed. And Thatch laughed, too. This experience reminded me of the importance of mindfulness and how it is a skill that requires constant practice. If we want to remain calm and present when things take an unexpected turn, we must strengthen our ability to focus our mind. In this month’s Healthy Kids’ section, you can read about how educators are incorporating mindfulness activities into their curriculum to foster calmer, happier and more focused kids. Readers of all ages can learn from the stories we share of students and teachers slowing down their busy schedules to make time for quiet reflection. Our October issue also features articles on holistic dental care, medicinal mushrooms, chiropractic care and more. This month, join me in celebrating the start of a new season. Welcome each morning as a fresh beginning and lean on mindfulness and laughter when life catches you off guard. When your thoughts feel too big to handle, lift your gaze in search of the moon, and soak in the wonder of this big beautiful world that we all are so fortunate to call home. With gratitude,
GULF COAST EDITION PUBLISHER Meredith Montgomery EDITING TEAM Michelle Bense Josh Montgomery Anne Wilson Michael Wilson Gabrielle Wyant DESIGN & PRODUCTION Meredith Montgomery DISTRIBUTION MGR. Stephanie Klumpp
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Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition
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