There’s still time to play! Everyone seems to share that sentiment as the last few weeks of summer vacation stretch out, and families of all shapes and sizes take advantage of the season’s long days and fun nights. Free time beckons, and children everywhere explore, create, grow and express themselves freely. I recently came across a video in which an 8-year-old was speaking with simple clarity on the interconnectedness of all life and posing questions with a wisdom far surpassing his age. Or was it?

Maybe his voice carried that instinctual understanding of nature and the purity accompanying a child’s perspective, not yet weighed down by mental complexities and limiting beliefs—instead, completely open to discovery. Keeping in mind this innocent vision of life certainly sheds light on what we all need in order to become truly healthy and to find our perfect place in the world.

Though strikingly insightful and quick to cut to the heart of any matter, children still need guidance and nurturing, and their response to soulful connections speaks for itself. In the inspiring story, “Saddle Up For Health and Happiness,” p. 18, by contributor Linda Leiden, we see the powerful bond between horse and student in gentle, therapeutic equine programs, led by compassionate instructors, that help children and adults with disabilities to achieve social, emotional and cognitive goals within the safe setting of Greystone Manor Therapeutic Riding Center.

Using a holistic, balanced and dignified methods to improve one’s quality of life is a consistent theme throughout our August edition. Linda Sechrist’s feature, p. 12, highlights the crucial need to consider individual constitution, root causes of dis-ease and all aspects of one’s lifestyle in a personalized approach to becoming and remaining cancer-free. This article paints the picture of health as one of honest self-exploration and trust in simpler ways with a focus on complete wellness.

Crucial for vitality and interdependence at any age is a safe space, not only internally, but also within families and communities. As old social constructs slip away and change continues, we support a foundational belief that everyone deserves to feel at home in the Universe, because It and we are wonderfully made.

                ~Jacqueline

Feel good, live simply, laugh more.

                   ~Jacqueline, Kendra, & Lois