This is My Jam!
Dear Friends,
I am
constantly amazed by the people that God places in my life. From athletes I
have coached who inspire me to be a better athlete and coach, to my family’s
unconditional love, to the women I have come to know through this magazine, I
am humbled to be a small part of your remarkable stories.
In previous
letters I have shared verses that encourage me to empower others with love and
support and honor others above myself. There is another verse that comes to
mind that has encouraged me to get to know your stories, “Rejoice with those
who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.”
Romans 12: 15-16.
This is my
jam! I want to connect with those around me who are like minded, health
conscious and enjoy a mind-body-spirit connection with the world. See our 2022
Gulf Coast Women In Wellness for a snippet into these women’s lives. I’d love
to hear about your health and wellness journey as well! Find me on Facebook.com/NaturalAwakeningsMag.
I’d like to
tell you the story that inspired this month’s magazine cover. Back in 2013,
much to my disapproval, my son, Zach moved to Dallas right out of college to
start his career in healthcare consulting. Much to his credit, he met his wife
Brianne in 2019, got married in March 2020 (yes, the weekend before the lockdown) and Annabelle Larae
Austin was born August 18, 2021. Happy days ever since!
Brianne
should have been one of my featured ‘Women in Wellness’, she has her own story
with health challenges and successes, and as a result is very particular about
raising her family in a holistic manner. This brings me incredible joy. As she
has begun to feed Annabelle solid foods, Brianne has prepared only whole
foods—whole grains, fruits and vegetables—to set her young immune system on the
right track.
She says,
“One of my greatest hopes for Annabelle is to raise her as an ‘intuitive
eater.’ I want her to have a relationship with food that results in nourishment
and enjoyment. I want to teach her to listen to what her body needs and wants
rather than being restrictive or turn to dieting. I want her to love her body
no matter what it looks like and eat in a way that leads to a lifetime of
mental and physical health.”
I’m so
proud of Brianne’s commitment to her family’s wellness. As a first-grade teacher
with a bachelor’s in elementary education, she is challenging herself to put
her degree to work for the good of young Annabelle. With her holistic health
mindset, think of the resilience she is building not only for her daughter, but
for herself and for her husband, my Zach. They all have my heart as you can
tell. I could go on, but I’ll let the rest of the pages speak for themselves
and for my love of this health and wellness community.
God bless and keep you,
Michelle Smith, Publisher
