Chippewa Valley 5ive for Women The Chippewa Valley’s Premier Magazine for Women!
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It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. Th e credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Ladies, how did we get to August? I am not ready for September and fall. Don’t get me wrong—fall may be my favorite season; I just need a little more time. Perhaps it’s that we had such a long and brutal winter last year, the realization that this was Hank’s final summer home, and that the lazy nights are winding down. The relaxed days on the boat are quickly slipping away. The beautiful craziness of fall is right around the corner.
This issue and the changing season has me thinking about the seasons of people in our lives. This quote that has always irked me: People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Ladies, I hated it because I
could not bear to think that anyone would come into my life solely for a brief reason or season. I have held to this idea that my posse of people would never want to stray. I would somehow be different than others; I believed I would have all the people and friendships in my life forever. It was too painful for me to realize that someone may not like me because in my mind that’s the only reason that those friendships would be gone. Self-involved, I know. The pain and shame this evoked was, at one point, unbearable. So what did I do? I held on way too tight for far longer than I should have. I tried way too hard and pushed far too much. I grasped at friendships and people that were already gone, all in attempts to make me feel safe. If I could make sure all my friends and people were intact, all would be okay. It has been beautifully life-changing for me to finally accept that some people genuinely are in my life only for a passing season or singular reason.
Sweet friends, as we move into this fall season, let’s challenge ourselves to be willing, to be honest, and to be vulnerable; I am enough, and so are you! As the days become shorter and the mornings become crisper, as we see the trees changing colors, we once again move into this new season of fall. I promise to reserve myself a seat; you reserve one, too—to take care of you, so you can healthfully take care of all those you love.
This change-of-season issue brings new fall recipes, the latest fashion trends, and much more. Be sure to check out all the awesome autumn events in the Chippewa Valley, too. Once again, I am excited to share the 5ive journey with all of you: faith, family, friends, fitness, and finance.
Jen Theisen
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
