Dear Readers,

Ahhh… summer! And what a summer it is—for my family, it’s the last summer before Davis heads off to college so there is a good deal of bittersweetness. I know it’s all right and good, but I will miss his regular presence. And I’m sure Sy is probably not looking forward to getting all of our attention!

         So, we will savor these last few weeks of togetherness and enjoy some warm, happy RVA summer days. Getting outside as much as we can to enjoy all of the natural wonder we have at our fingertips—the river, hiking and biking trails, beautiful parks and gardens and more (have you found any RVARocks! when you’ve been out walking? It’s so much fun – Facebook.com/groups/RVARocks). And going inward, spending quiet moments with our own thoughts and dreams to help refocus and determine what our innermost goals and desires are, what we hope to accomplish once

September arrives and the business of back-to-school (and end-of-summer) begins.

         A friend of mine at Chrysalis recently shared this poem by Lao Tzu about
going inward, and I found it very meaningful…

 

Always we hope someone else has the answer.

Some other place will be better, some other time it will all turn out.

This is it. No one else has the answer.

No other place will be better, and it has already turned out.

At the center of being you have the answer;

You know who you are and you know what you want.

There is no need to run outside for better seeing.

Nor to peer from a window.

Rather abide at the center of your being;

For the more you leave it the less you learn.

Search your heart and see, the way to do is to be.

“…the way to do is to be.” It seems so easy, but I think it’s something many of us struggle with—being present, listening, trusting our intuition… I have found that I have an easier time doing these things when I am making healthy choices for my body, mind and spirit through healthy eating, exercise, sleep, meditation, connection and service. This issue features an article on lifestyle detox, presenting natural ways to cleanse body and mind.

         There is also an article about organic farming which serves as a great reminder of the importance of making local, organic, sustainable and ethical food choices. The 2017 Local Farmers’ Markets are still in full swing—they are listed online at NARichmond.com (scroll down under Local Features).

 

Happy Reading!

Jessica Coffey, Publisher