Growing up, September signaled the beginning of a new year; every new school grade felt like a fresh start. Even now, long after college, September continues to feel like a reset month following the more carefree days of summer. 

My children’s new school years signaled a return to homework, after-school activities and weekend soccer games. Looking back, I realize that we took for granted the teachers, soccer coaches and other support systems that blessed our lives. Many parents today must decide between sending their kids back to school or accepting the responsibility of homeschooling. Neither choice is perfect, as they weigh health risks to their children’s intellectual and social enrichment. 

That’s why I find this month’s “Raising Resilient Kids” feature on page 44 so timely. Writer Ronica O’Hara says that the ability to bounce back from difficulties may be the most important aptitude we can teach our children. Parents will find some great tips to help their kids develop the self-confidence and skills they need to handle whatever comes their way.  

We’ve been in the middle of this pandemic for several months now, and many are feeling exhausted. An unstoppable wave of change has swept us all up, and sometimes we may feel like we’re either tumbling helplessly in the wave’s undertow or learning how to surf its crest better. 

Many structures we have depended upon in the past have crumbled around us—some of them may not have been working so well anyway. With this turmoil and change, we find ourselves swimming in a sea of challenging emotions and feeling overwhelmed. I think you will find this month’s feature story, “Emotional Well-Being in the Pandemic Age,” on page 28, as valuable as I did. Writer Sandra Yeyati offers us ways to meet these unpleasant emotions head-on with self-compassion, to move forward with resilience and courage, and to rewire our brains for positivity one breath and one minute at a time. 

For as long as I could write, I’ve benefited from the therapeutic value of journaling—spilling my emotions on paper—beginning with my first little pink diary fastened with a lock and key, and graduating to more mature journals later on. The blank page has been a neutral witness to painful breakups, miraculous childbirths, excruciating losses and new awakenings. Award-winning teacher and author Sandra Marinella has empowered thousands of people to use stories and writings to move beyond their circumstances and heal from traumas. Check out “The Power of Personal Writing” on page  27; it is my hope that you will be inspired to find some blank pages and begin to release and transform your life stories.

During my restorative sunset beach walks this summer, I have felt deeply grateful that we didn’t have any red tide or algae blooms. As the article on page 22 recounts, that is thanks to the efforts of people like my longtime friend and artist Paul Arsenault. Paul is using his art to bring attention to the Right to Clean Water Charter Amendment, which is crucial to defending our right to clean water. When Lake Okeechobee locks open and the polluted water flows south again, this amendment will be just what we wished we had to protect us.

Let’s make the best of this reset time and commit to making the kinds of changes that are possible, both internally and externally. As old systems break down, let’s create a world that truly works for all living things.  

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one….”

Join us, 

Sharon Bruckman