Editor Saffia shares five things she learned working on the Early Spring issue

I am reminded that we can make a difference

It’s amazing how powerful children’s stories can be. I was very moved by Alba the Hundred Year Old Fish by

Lara Hawthorne. It’s about how our waste is making the sea dirty and impacting on sea life. I found it distressing. But the book has a positive message – about how the town worked together to clean up the sea. Thus, through a simple picture book, I am encouraged to keep trying and reminded that there is a huge ocean out there that we need to be mindful of, each and every day.

The rejuvenating power of a hot bath!

On our Family Time pages we share a poem by Alice Taylor about how, tired and depressed, she was revived by a hot bath! This resonated with me, already appreciating very much how a soak can help me feel so much better. There are lots of wonderful features in this issue suggesting different ways to revive ourselves. Why not take a look…?

What it really means to listen

Cath Darling has written a fantastic article about listening, particularly in the context of the health service. Her description of how people can feel processed through a tick-box system by “experts” is very powerful. She shows us how we can really listen to others, including our children, and how empowering this can be.

The power of love

In an evocative piece, Karen Hodgson relates how she has tried to explain her love for her adopted children. The description of her first hug with her daughter really made me think about what this relationship must mean for each child, as well as for the mother. This is a wonderful article about the strength of human relationships.

How new motherhood can be isolating for some women

Maddie McMahon’s book Why Mothering Matters challenges us to think about motherhood in all its different facets. While some women take to mothering easily, some struggle, alone, behind closed doors. I am grateful to Maddie for reminding me of this, and for helping me to appreciate the ways in which we can truly help new mothers.

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Read Issue 59 (Winter 2018) of JUNO: