I can hardly believe the holidays are over and a shiny new year has arrived, full of possibilities.
There are words in our gloriously quirky English language that only come out for special occasions, like hunker and batten during stormy weather, and resolution for the new year. It’s that time again to decide what positive changes we want to make in our lives in 2018 and what we are willing to do to make them actually happen.
In our December issue, we asked you to tell us about a positive lifestyle change you made in 2017, and your responses were inspiring. We heard from several readers who made commitments to weight loss and exercise, as well as from a few who learned how to just say no every once in a while, in the name of sanity (read more about that from Katherine Wintsch on page 16).
I too, made a few changes in 2017 that positively impacted my life. I’m proud to say that I managed to make it to one hundred Jazzercise classes, a workout program that is as old as I am, and has kept up with the times to still kick butt for lots of people. I hardly ever have the extra time to go to the classes, but I always feel better after I do and am happy that I chose my health over my desk chair for that hour. I have found that putting each class on my calendar, just like a work meeting, has made it happen and turned it into more of a priority than simply a passing thought that never comes to fruition.
I also read for pleasure more in 2017, and I look forward to catching up on more recommended novels this year. (Feel free to email me your recommendations at margaret@rfmonline.com.) There is still a lot of work to be done in 2018, including continuing my quest to put down my phone and be fully present for my loved ones as often as possible. I came a long way on this in 2017, but with more and more online distractions every day, I’m sure it will be something to keep on the all-time resolution list for our whole family!
In this once-a-year double issue of RFM, there is truly something for everyone, and it may take you until our next issue hits stands the end of February to make it through all one hundred information-packed pages! You’ll read about one family’s weight loss journey and another’s journey navigating childhood brain cancer. Little Sawyer Perkins’ story will warm your heart and break it at the same time. Our Home Space department will help you get organized in the new year, and our What’s Cooking installment from popular blogger, Brittany Mullins of Eating Bird Food, will help you prepare healthy meals this year. But the feature in the issue I’m most proud to publish (55,000 times in print and forever online) is such an important one for all families to read. Lisa Crutchfield’s look into the opioid crisis is a must-read, and although it’s a tough topic, the stories that families shared with us can’t help but make you realize just how widespread this epidemic has become. The article’s takeaway message will stay with me – don’t think it can’t happen in your family.
From all of us at RFM – Happy New Year, and enjoy this issue!
