Editor Saffia shares five things she learned from editing Issue 58

Things children say can be poetry

While I was preparing this issue I discovered the book Dad’s Doodles. Terry Dammery noted down the things his young daughters said and turned them into poetry. I love this idea! Children say the most wonderful things, and turning their words into short poems helps us see their wisdom even more. You can find out more and read extracts on the Family Time pages.

I was reminded to find the art in every day

I really enjoyed Philippa Stanton’s book Conscious Creativity. It’s a call to us all to find the art in our day-to-day lives. There is so much beauty around us, in shape, colour, form and texture, and taking a few minutes to stop and look can help lift us when we start to feel that life is a drudge of routine. I love that the idea of her book is to inspire us to look around us and enjoy what’s there as a way to stimulate ideas and exploration.

Life can be tough

There are some really difficult stories in this issue – Lisa Wells talks about preparing to leave her children due to terminal cancer, and Chantal Lockey describes losing her baby daughter. Neither of these features is easy to read, but they remind us to be grateful for every day we have, and I am inspired by the bravery of both women in turning their trauma into positive action.

Human development is incredible, and learning is everywhere

Richard Brinton writes about how we develop in the first three years of life, and how each stage can feel like a miracle. Birth, learning to sit up, crawling, walking, communication: so much happens in those years that we need to treasure. This is a wonderfully reflective piece.

Richard’s article, and one by Karen Hodgson, reminded me that we learn by being. Karen’s observations of how her home-educated children learned best are a fascinating illustration of how learning is everywhere, in all of life’s experiences.

I found inspiration for the Christmas season

In one of his poems Terry Dammery talks about “fire-glow”. Lou Harvey-Zahra describes some gentle family traditions we can share in at home to help us understand the joy and wonder of the Christmas period rather than dashing around spending money. There are also willow stars to make and a vegan mince pie recipe to try. I hope you enjoy a nurturing, connected Christmas season.

First published in Issue 58 (Winter 2018) of JUNO: