letterfrompublisher
One of my fondest Christmas morning memories is seeing a shiny new bike under the tree with my name on it. It didn’t matter that there was two feet of snow outside and icy, slippery roads—I had a new bike! Something about being on a bike makes you feel like a kid again at any age. I’ve noticed that whenever my friends Craig Holland and Joanne Smallwood tell me about their latest biking adventure, they glow with child- like enthusiasm (see their story on page 32).
Yet, lately, the lightheartedness I’ve always associated with freewheeling around has run up against self-admonishing incriminations. Shouldn’t I be riding a bike more often instead of burning precious fossil fuels to get from one place to another? As we all know, the pleasure of doing something is better incentive than any list of “shoulds,” so this year, I’m putting a new bike on my Christmas list and looking forward to the multitude of benefits that ride along with it. I also found this month’s introduction to Luke Burgis’ ActivPrayer inspir- ing (page 34). This mainline churchgoer shows us how to infuse exercise with guided prayer and intentions, making challenging workouts a platform for spiritual growth. His goal is to spread the good word about what adding soul to fitness can do for us.
Writer Lisa Marshall carries the idea further in this month’s feature article, “Everyday Grace: Finding the Sacred in Daily Living” (page 36). Marshall inter- views individuals who have found fresh ways to connect with the Divine through connecting with nature, outdoor activities, food and gardening—even mundane, workaday tasks. As author J. Pittman MeGehee observes, “People are looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary…”
The holidays traditionally signal a season of special rituals, but rituals should be a regular feature of our lives, says Charlotte Eulette, in “Kid-Centered Ceremo- nies.” We hope that the ideas you find on page 42 will inspire you to create new ways to strengthen your own connections and create meaningful family memories. As I write this letter, I look out upon my early Christmas present from friend and fruit tree consultant, Frank DeNardis, who is helping me grow a backyard food factory. So far, I have avocado, lychee, Barbados cherry, starfruit and jaboti- caba fruit trees, with a mango tree to follow.
I’m so enthused about the education Frank offers along with these trees that we’ve decided to pick a different variety each month to feature in the magazine. Our first installment features one of my favorites—the avocado (page 26). Why not give someone a luscious fruit tree for Christmas?
For me, the wonder-filled expression of this month’s cover girl captures the joys of celebrating a spiritual, simple, economical and eco-friendly holiday season. This issue is dedicated to helping you make your holidays as healthy and wondrous as possible. We hope you’ll try some of the suggestions and let us know how they worked for you.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Natural Awakenings, Sharon Bruckman, Publisher 6 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com
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