December 2005

Publisher's Note: A Season of Giving (Back)

Welcome to the season of giving, of cold outsides and warm insides.

I am still experiencing the thankfulness of Thanksgiving – for this year it has special meaning to me. As you learned in our November issue, we are now an independent group of magazines and locally owned. When the opportunity presented itself to purchase Seattle’s Child and Puget Sound Parent from Trader Publishing, there was no question about should I or shouldn’t I? Or even, could I? I just walked through the door that presented itself and continued the 27-year tradition of publishing.

Our publications have always been about giving back to the community: supporting parents, families and children throughout our region with the information, events and resources you need to create growing, learning, loving environments. Our stewardship is to maintain this support – in print, online and in person.

This is a season of stewardship and giving back, and we want to celebrate the common, communal, community ideals of hope, light, birth and joy in caring about others. Our stories this issue reflect these ideals. Read about Patrick Lease, an extraordinary child who is healing from crippling rheumatoid arthritis and encouraging others to help find a cure. We are also profiling two young ladies, Megan Johnson and Tara Sodoma, who have made a long-term commitment to giving to those in need. Find 10 practical suggestions for reducing holiday stress in the feature section and hundreds of ideas for ways to celebrate the season in the calendar section.

As we prepare for our first new year, again under local ownership/stewardship, and our 28th year of publishing, we hope you will share with us your thoughts, needs, and favorite highlights so that we may continue to provide you with exactly what you need.

The commitment of my staff is extraordinary. We all feel passionately about what we do, and our work has special meaning to us both personally and professionally. Our own children are 4 months to 24 years old; our experience is in working for nonprofits and learning organizations as well as marketing organizations that enable young companies to reach the family market they aim to serve.

Why did I walk through the door that presented itself? A quote from a story by Brian Andreas of StoryPeople helps explain: “I used to wait for a sign before I did anything,” said the woman in the tale. “Then one night I had a dream and an angel in black tights came to me and said, ‘You can start any time now;’ and then I said, ‘Is this a sign?’ And the angel started laughing and I woke up. Now, I think the whole world is filled with signs, but if there’s no laughter, I know they’re not for me.”

Our work, our stewardship, is full of the laughter and joy of families and children. May you have a bright and loving and giving holiday season!

Linda Watson
Publisher

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Northwest Parent Media
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