Healing is such a powerful word, but I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t mean just one thing. Sometimes healing means recovery. Sometimes it means learning how to move forward after life has changed. Sometimes it is found in the people who surround us, the care we receive or simply in finding moments of joy and gratitude during difficult times.

This month’s theme feels especially personal to me because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Like so many families, ours has been deeply affected by cancer. My mom is a cancer survivor, something for which I am incredibly grateful. My dad, unfortunately, wasn’t as lucky. Their journeys were very different, but both have shaped the way I think about health, healing and hope.

Cancer is a terrible disease, and chances are most of us have been touched by it in some way. We may have faced it ourselves, supported someone we love through treatment or lost someone who meant the world to us. My parents’ stories remind me that healing doesn’t always have to mean a cure. It can also mean finding strength during the hardest moments, appreciating the time we have, supporting one another and continuing to find hope even when the outcome isn’t the one we prayed for.

In this issue, we explore life after cancer and the many ways to nurture health, healing and well-being at every stage of life. The resources, compassion and sense of community provided by those supporting individuals and families affected by cancer can make such an important difference, and to everyone doing this work, thank you. Healing can happen through medical care, but it can also be nurtured by how we eat, how we move, how we manage stress, the relationships we build and the time we allow ourselves to simply slow down.

And what better season to slow down and reconnect than fall?

October gives us so many reasons to get outside and enjoy where we live. This month take a drive to see the changing leaves, visit a local farm or orchard, go for a walk on one of our beautiful trails or simply spend a little extra time outside taking in the colors and crisp autumn air. Sometimes these simple moments can be restorative in ways we don’t fully appreciate until we make the time for them.

Of course, we can’t celebrate fall without apples! Beyond being one of the season’s favorite traditions, apples offer plenty of nutritional benefits and endless possibilities in the kitchen. Be sure to check out the recipes featured in this issue, as well as even more healthy seasonal recipes on our website.

As you read this month’s issue, I hope you’ll find something that speaks to wherever you are on your own journey. Whether it’s information that helps you make a healthier choice, a local resource you didn’t know existed, an event that gets you out into the community or simply a reminder to appreciate a beautiful fall afternoon, may these pages offer something meaningful to carry into your day.

Here’s to a beautiful October and to discovering the many ways healing can begin, grow and unfold.

Erica Mills, publisher