Chippewa Valley 5ive for Women The Chippewa Valley’s Premier Magazine for Women!
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“You can gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Ladies, this quote describes many of the women in this issue. I am so honored to know their stories. This was supposed to be our Fall into Fun issue, but all these extraordinary women’s stories made it impossible to publish anything other than a Courageous Women issue.
As we move into fall (and dare I say the beginning stages of the holiday season), I challenge myself and all of my readers to be courageous. Now what on earth does that mean? I had a young child ask me, “What is courage, and how do I get it?”
I had to ponder that question a bit. What I came up with, and what I have come to learn personally, is that courage is not a quality we are born with. It is a quality that is developed and honed. It also does not require dramatic or famously-heroic acts. Many everyday people summon extreme strength and courage to overcome both psychological and physical challenges. One such a hero is my very own amazing Grace. She has dealt with anxiety. That alone was not enough for my courageous daughter: she has shared her story over and over in the hope that perhaps one person will feel comforted and no longer alone. I am profoundly proud of her strength and courage. I am not sure I would have the resolve to so openly and willing share that part of myself; she inspires me daily. This issue features another young hero, another amazing Grace (or as my Quinn would say, “She is not the real Grace”) who has stared fear in the face and embraced her beautiful self. This courageous lady was brave enough to share her story with all of us; what a true inspiration.
Ladies, please take the time to embrace each other’s differences and practice acts of kindness as we move into this next season. As women, we need to help cultivate courage in one another. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I have. I know it will challenge and inspire all of you.
The journey continues in faith, family, friends, fitness, and finance.
Jen Theisen
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
