Editor’s Note

Thoughts from the Editor

This past month was a whirlwind of activity and significance for my family. April is always a bit hectic for us, but this one was particularly momentous.

In addition to our typical April festivities (three out of the five members of my little family have birthdays in April) we also marked two other meaningful moments. My oldest daughter entered her teen years and my last living grandparent passed away. It was a weird juxtaposition of events. One day we were celebrating a life well lived, and the next morning we were flying off on a special birthday trip. It was peculiar and moving to have these weighty, meaningful moments condensed into such a short time. We touched the past and leaned into our future, allowing each moment to give depth and height to our experiences.

My Grandpa Gene would have been 96 on April 29th. We shared a birthday, which always made me feel uniquely connected to him. My grandpa was an incredible man—a great husband, father, entrepreneur, grandpa, and friend. He lived well and left an indelible mark on our family, passing on his most cherished possession to me: his faith in Jesus. In preparation for his memorial, I was digging through old photo albums and stumbled across some long-forgotten family memories. It was good to stop and remember.

Far too often, life just trudges along and I often fail to miss the importance of pausing to celebrate, remember, or take note of a meaningful moment. In The Power of Moments: Why Certain Moments Have Extraordinary Impact, authors Chip and Dan Heath say,

“This is the great trap of life: One day rolls into the next, and a year goes by, and we still haven’t had that conversation we always meant to have. Still haven’t created that peak moment for our students. Still haven’t seen the northern lights. We walk a flatland that could have been a mountain range.”

As our daughter approached her teen years, my wife and I knew we wanted to be intentional with this moment in her life. So we saved and planned and prepared for a couple years to take Addie anywhere she wanted to go in the U.S. She chose Austin. Her first flight, first Broadway show, a time to explore a big city, get dressed up, and mark a milestone moment in her life. We gathered letters from people who know her well, and gave her gifts to remember this moment of transition towards adulthood. My hope is that this small investment into our beloved daughter will be part of a mountain range of significant events in her life.

As we turn the page and head towards summer and a new season, take a moment to stop and remember the good of the past, and look forward with fresh hope.

Cheers,

Eric Riley

Executive Editor Lifestyle Magazine

President / Owner Topograph