In modern society, anxiety is often an accompaniment to the months leading up to the holiday season. Anxiety is a chronic issue for many people, and its causes range from poor eating habits to the pressure of family commitments to everything in between. Our work with JLNO makes our community a little better, and reducing our anxiety by taking care of ourselves is necessary to carry out that mission.
In this issue, we’re making an effort to combat anxiety with an examination of the wellbeing of women. We’ve investigated fad diets, profiled fitness studios in the city and provided a primer for learning to meditate. We’re also diving into wellbeing by looking at the circumstances around natural disasters and their after effects. After the unprecedented flooding in August, JLNO’s leadership swooped in to meet needs and relieve anxiety for the victims. We’ll tell the inspiring story of how our members and leaders came to the rescue. I’m inspired by these women who just wanted to make the world a little better, a little brighter, by bringing diapers up the Mississippi River to women and children in need and relieving a little anxiety in the process.
The holidays themselves can be a source of anxiety with the rat race demanding ever-increasing limits for gifts and parties. The diversity of JLNO’s membership provides us with a great source of inspiration for a variety of calming holiday traditions. We’ll learn about the unique traditions of a few of our members and hopefully inspire new traditions in your families. JLNO’s diversity also ensures we can have a robust conversation on the complicated issue of race relations in our region, and our Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted an inspiring event to kick off that conversation.
Talking about anxiety isn’t pleasant. However, when we talk about ways to lessen anxiety, it’s easier to grasp that we’re all in this together trying to make the world a slightly better place for each other. I hope you find something in this issue that aids you overcoming any anxiety and enjoying the celebrations of the season. Keep making the world a little better and inspiring us all to do the same.
Warmly,
Lea Witkowski-Purl
Lagniappe Editor 2016-2017
P.S. I like to remind myself that every day is an opportunity for learning by making mistakes, and I recently proved it to myself once again. In our last issue, we ran a story called Sip’n Shop about the provisional class. While we featured photos of this year’s class, the rest of the article was from last year and was written by Katy Darrith. I apologize for the error, and I thank Marion Newsom for bringing it to my attention. This year’s provisional class is composed of 120 amazing new members. I can’t wait to see what things they will accomplish or what I’ll learn today.
