I
always smile when somehow, a magazine issue
ends up having a general theme between its
articles. I would love to say that it was planned,
but it really never is. Somehow it always seems
to connect back to something I’m experiencing in my
own life in the moment, or have witnessed through
someone else’s experiences. Call it the universe, Fate,
God, whatever your leaning is (I attribute it to God
myself), but I don’t think it’s ever truly an accident.
Hopefully my ramblings here touch someone,
somewhere else, as these themes touch me.
I am really loving Tim McGraw’s new single,
“Humble and Kind.” It is a powerful yet simple
statement to me right now. My husband and I were
the (successful!) defendants in a lawsuit that ended
last June. Even though we won, the emotional scars
of an 11 month battle have remained a painful scab
that we’re trying desperately to heal. In the heat
of hearing such horrible things about yourself that
were untrue and could not be fought personally, we
internalized our feelings and lashed out at each other
when we couldn’t speak up. Now we’re working on
reprogramming our marriage and teaching ourselves
how to be kind to each other again. In the midst of
such a crucial process, the idea of being kind seemed
to come at the right moment, in a song and in the
material that came to this issue of WLM.
There are a few features here that struck that note
of being kind and loving to others. In Torrington,
Dr. Ezdan Fluckiger began The Bread Doctor to
give his special needs daughter an outlet, as well as
connecting his family and the community through his
new business. Also in Torrington and Green River,
ladies of many ages and backgrounds come together
in quilting communities to honor the tradition of
quilting and preservation of memories and an art
form … and find ways to give back their work to
community members in need. In Converse County’s
Esterbrook, the community church was built by the
love of its community members, and has been lovingly
preserved and celebrated since then. In Cokeville, the
30th anniversary of the hostage crisis that left every
hostage a survivor takes place in May … this is an
incredible story of love and hope. In nearby Afton,
Star Valley Medical Center continues to bridge gaps
and fill the needs of the community. Wyoming’s rural
hospitals are success stories in the effort to care for
our small, diverse and rural population in ways that
help them not travel great distances. These stories are
labors of love. And in Lander, Photographer Brian
Zinke has made it his mission to connect people to the
great outdoors through his images – and gives back
to charitable organizations through his business. His
desire to care for others and our earth is at the heart
of his work.
These are just a few of the features in this issue, and
I hope that you enjoy our labor of love. Thank you
for giving us an opportunity to share the incredible
people, history, places and adventures that make up
Wyoming – you bless us every day. Living in such a
giving place helps one find the energy to heal those
old wounds. I can’t wait for the day when they’re
merely faded scars.
Til Next Time,
Kati Hime
Editor
www.wyolifestyle.com
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