Dear Reader,

Happy New Year! I can remember when 2000 began and now we are already closing out the second decade of the century. Time is a funny thing—the way some days can seem so long, yet the years tend to fly by. That has never been so true as it is for me now, approaching these last few months with my younger son here at home. It’s times like these that I wish could press pause and savor his sweet presence and sense of humor for just a little longer. I know there is still a good bit of time before he heads off to college, but the beginning of a new year tends to give one pause and the opportunity to reflect upon what has past and what lies ahead.

        And what lies ahead is full of so much possibility and potential. Richmond has a rich and vibrant community of folks who are working tirelessly to promote wellness and healthy living through their businesses, products, volunteer opportunities and programs/workshops. I hope you will choose to take advantage of all they have to offer this year. Let’s make 2019 the year of living well. What choices can you make—small ones each day—to live a healthier, more balanced life? Whether it’s by moving more, doing less or giving generously of your time or gifts, you can make a positive difference. If you need some motivation or inspiration, just flip through the pages of this issue.

        In it, you will find our annual Healthy Living Directory, full of practitioners and business owners ready to help you optimize your body, mind and spirit. You can learn about a new initiative, The Giving Wall, collaboratively created by Mindful Mornings and the Office of Creative Wealth Building to “#giveprogress to hardworking humans living in poverty by #givingdifferently.” And the article, “Moving Through Life,” explains how daily movement can add up to fitness. In 2019, you can also plan to take new classes or attend events listed in our Calendar section—find something that interests or inspires you and give it a try. As Mary Oliver asks in her poem, The Summer Day, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

        Ever since I started including poems in my publisher’s letter, I have found that I tend to gravitate towards Danna Faulds. I read this one recently and I just love it—her words are what I wish for you in this new year, “Self-Observation Without Judgment”…

 

Release the harsh and pointed inner voice.
It’s just a throwback to the past,
and holds no truth about this moment.

Let go of self-judgment, the old, learned ways of
beating yourself up for each imagined inadequacy.

Allow the dialogue within the mind to grow friendlier,
and quiet. Shift out of inner criticism and life
suddenly looks very different.

I can say this only because I make the choice a
hundred times a day to release the voice that refuses to
acknowledge the real me.

What’s needed here isn’t more prodding toward perfection, but intimacy—seeing clearly, and embracing what I see.

Love, not judgment, sows the
seeds of tranquility and change.

Happy 2019 and Happy Reading!

Jessica