PHOTO BY MEGAN BLACK PHOTOGRAPHY
Here I am, the day we go to print, frantically attempting to write this. I always aim to share something inspiring, something that resonates, or something you’ll remember so my goal for next month is to start Brooke Notes earlier!
The months sure do roll around quickly… I can hardly believe we’re already in the last quarter of 2022. Time is a funny thing, isn’t it? My Pop Pop Charlie told me once that life is like a roll of toilet paper… the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. This saying always makes me laugh, but also slightly terrifies me. I’m only 32 years old and it’s already going too fast!
I was having a conversation with a close friend of mine the other day about how sometimes we thrive on being busy. Do you know the feeling? It’s almost an adrenaline rush to be constantly going and going and going. Until you can’t. Until your body decides it’s finally had enough, and it forces you to rest. For me, my body has been deciding to give me migraines. I had one recently that lasted for a couple of DAYS. Talk about forcing you to slow down. While I certainly don’t have life figured out, I do think it’s important to listen to your body and slow down before it forces you too. Slowing down may mean setting better boundaries with work, spending more quality time with your family and friends, making exercise and sleep a priority, fueling your body with healthy foods, picking up a fun hobby, etc.
I don’t know about you, but I know I feel better when I do those things. My stress and anxiety levels go down and I’m an overall happier person. I mention this because often this last quarter of the year is a busy one. Lots of extra events, a school routine, the holidays… it can be a lot! Here’s to making October a month where we make time to slow down and soak in the important little moments of life.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. While of course I encourage you to read cover to cover, I want to point out a few highlights in this issue:
- Once again, Trellis Supportive Care presents their amazing and inspirational Living Your Best Life Annual Speaker Series!
- Girls’ Night Out will take place on Tuesday October 11th at ROAR in downtown Winston-Salem! Don’t forget to make a reservation!
- Read all about our cover feature– the fabulous Black Mountain Chocolate team! They encourage you to “simply slow down and savor the chocolate” and I couldn’t agree more!
- Brenner Children’s Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist presents Cheers! Happening on November 4th at Truist Baseball Stadium. Learn more HERE.
This month, our sister publication, LKN Magazine, is featuring Dynamis Estates on their cover! I’m sharing because this stunning vineyard is only about a 35 minute drive from Winston-Salem, and it is oh-so-worth the drive! I’m not kidding when I say it feels like you are visiting Napa Valley. You can read all about Dynamis (and see the stunning photos) at lkn-magazine.com
I can’t end this without mentioning Breast Cancer Awareness month. My mom, Keela, is a two time breast cancer survivor and I have countless other women in my life who have had breast cancer. I bet you know someone who has suffered from breast cancer. Maybe YOU personally have. I saw on a billboard recently “breast cancer doesn’t wait until October.” So, while this awful disease gets a lot of exposure this month, please, please always remember to get your annual mammograms no matter what month it is. Even if you’ve already had breast cancer, it’s still so crucial to go annually. My mom had a double mastectomy in 2007 and I naively thought it “wasn’t possible” for her to get breast cancer again. This is your sign to remind all of the women in your life to schedule their mammograms!
As always, wishing you a happy and healthy month of October!
B
