I am writing this note during a particularly challenging time in our city and our nation’s history. For a while, I was afraid the whole idea of putting out a magazine right now seemed frivolous and out of place. But after reading it from cover to cover, our amazing editorial team has lifted my spirits and reminded me that RFM exists to enlighten, entertain, and help build healthy families. I knew staying the course was exactly the right thing to do for the community that means so much to us.
There is so much to love about this issue of RFM, so let’s get right to some of my favorite parts! The gift of time many of us have been given over these last three months is the overarching theme of our reader poll comments on page 8. Learning about how you have found silver linings during our stay-at-home time filled my heart and reminded me of the many things we have to be grateful for – meals together, a pause from our normally hurried and harried lives, and time to explore new hobbies (or revisit old ones) were mentioned often, and it helped me look back more fondly over this time.
And then there’s Karen’s big confession on page 14 – a must-read for all of us, and one for our kids too, especially the teens out there who are about to reach that big milestone of getting a driver’s license.
I especially appreciate that every single issue of RFM since our inception back in 2009 includes a profile on one of our area’s non-profit organizations in our Reaching Out department. This issue’s featured organization is Circles RVA. I encourage you to read about the important work they are doing on page 16 and then sign up to prepare or donate a meal to the families they empower.
Since we’ll all be looking for things to do over the summer, I was thrilled to read RVA dad Phil Riggan’s ideas on pages 24 and 25. After a couple months without the famous RFM calendar, I’m delighted to see some events – both real and virtual – populating our back pages once again. It’s just one more sign of hope for brighter days ahead.
I got a little star-struck reading the informative articles written by two of the area’s TV legends, NBC12 meteorologist Andrew Freiden and Morgan Dean, who after twenty-six years on air is now working with AAA. Check them out on pages 38 and 48.
And speaking of star struck, yes that is Melissa Chase on the cover, part of the duo we love to listen to on 103.7 each morning. I can’t wait to see her on National Geographic channel on July 5! Read all about that and her real-life encounter with a shark, beginning on page 42.
We’re giving you all summer to enjoy this issue of RFM, then we’ll be back with our September issue, and hopefully we’ll see you back out in the community by then, too!
From all of us at RFM, enjoy your summer!
