letter from the editor I in every issue
JUNE 2014
Where the Boys Are
It happens just once a year and is one of the most anticipated She Mag issues... Welcome to our annual MAN ISSUE,
this year called WHERE THE BOYS ARE.
When I first decided to dedicate the June issue of each
year to the fellas, it was purely for our entertainment. We
all have men in our lives - be it husband, sons, brothers or
friends - whom we love. So, seeing how every issue celebrates women, why not focus one each year on our men?
Yet, as the years progressed, it became increasingly clearer
that a large portion of our readers are men. Don’t ask me
why - or how - as I never imagined She would appeal so
greatly to the boys. One of our male readers did recently
tell me, “It is simply because of the wonderful stories you
have.” Whatever the reason, though unplanned and unforeseen, men love our She and I think that is just fabulous.
Now, it’s time for She to celebrate a few of the great guys
that you, our readers, have nominated. The sad thing is,
due to space, we could only feature a small number of the
many wonderful men we received letters about; therefore,
we have saved the rest for another day.
As I immersed myself in this issue, thoughts of the men
God has placed in my life occupied my mind, stirring feelings of gratitude for how I have been blessed by each of
them. I have shared about my DaDa so often that many of
you tell me you feel as though you knew him. Still, I could
never adequately tell you what he meant to me and still
does. It’s funny, the more time that passes by since he was
called Home, the more vividly DaDa occupies the recesses
of my memory. One of the things that I feared most was
that I would forget the sound of his voice; but, thankfully, so far that has not happened. I can hear him call me
“Love” (as he often did), as clearly as if the words just escaped his lips. Without effort, I can feel the hardness of his
collarbone against my cheek as I nestled my head into his
shoulder and the soft touch of his hand resting on my back.
His advice and wisdom are easily recalled when I need
them most, and his sweet smile and roaring laughter echo
from the past, penetrating time and space. Still, I miss
him. Some days the loss is so immense that it feels like the
weight of all the love I had for him has turned against me.
Pressing on my heart in all its force, it becomes too much
to bear, and I have to consciously turn away from it, willing myself not to think about it or him until I can breathe
again. Most days are not like that, though. Mainly, I think
of him sweetly and find peace in knowing how happy he
must be and comfort in knowing I will see him again.
Then, there are my sons. The only way to understand the
bond that exists between mother and son is to experience
it. My sons, Joshua and Jacob, are daily blessings in my
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June 2014
life, and I am so enjoying watching them now - not as my
little boys, but as young men. The funny thing about our
relationship, in contrast to my relationship with my daughter, is the role reversal. I’m not sure when it happened; but
now, my sons have taken on the role of parent to me, in a
small way. They let me know that they worry about me
on the road and constantly give me driving tips. Perhaps
that says more about my driving than anything! However, it speaks volumes to me about their love. It is such an
amazing thing to look at my sons and grasp that they came
from my body - two strong, smart and capable men, so
very different from me but laced with traces of their mother nevertheless. I watch them and pray that they will be
to their wives and children one day what my DaDa was to
me. I hope they will love greatly and use their strength to
do good and never harm, as I know they will. Above all, I
want them to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and
strength and live a life that honors Him. I think I may say
this every year in our annual MAN issue, yet it bears repeating. If men could only realize the power they have to make
or break women and children, perhaps they all would use
that power differently.
Then, there’s the newest man in my life- my sweet, kind,
handsome and totally une