Every day, each of us must make multiple decisions that affect various parts of our lives and/or the lives of others. For instance, this month, our staff had to choose the best short story to publish out of dozens of worthy submissions from local creative writers for our annual Short Story Contest (see pages 26-27 to read the winning story!). We ma...

On a perfect day, I know that I can count on youWhen that's not possibleTell me, can you weather the storm?If you're a fan of '80s and '90s R&B music, you probably recognize the above lyrics, which were made famous in a song first recorded by New Edition in 1988 and again by Boys II Men in 1997. And since most of us have heard the saying, "Apri...

Forward MARCH! This month brings us daylight savings time on March 10, St. Patrick's Day on March 17, Easter on March 31, and the anxiously awaited first day of spring on March 19. Except for the infamous "pollening" that happens in Georgia at this time of year, which is never fun for allergy sufferers, most of us welcome the sight of budding trees...

When most of us consider "traveling light," it's likely our first thought is about packing only the most essential things we'll need for an upcoming trip. So, if we're planning to backpack through Europe with only what we can comfortably carry each day, we'll probably pack just one or two changes of clothing, a few basic toiletries, first aid items...

Happy New Year! Are you someone who makes resolutions? While I'm all for people doing whatever they need to do to motivate themselves to make positive strides in their lives, statistically, "on average, only 9-12% of people keep their New Year's resolutions," and "the biggest reason people don't keep their resolutions is that they set unrealistic g...

I fondly remember Christmases of my childhood when my parents, brother, and sisters would gather at Grandma and Grandaddy's house with my dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve, wake up at home on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought, and then spend Christmas afternoon at my other grandparents' house with my mom's side of the family. Afte...

Thankful — Conscious of benefits received.Grateful ­— Appreciative of benefits received.The above definitions are from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus. Though people often use these words interchangeably, I think it's important to note the difference. To be conscious of something means we acknowledge it, but perhaps it doesn't always m...

Ahhhh, October — colorful leaves, pumpkin-flavored everything, fall festivals, and Halloween. This month is usually when we have a smattering of days that the temperature drops below 60, interspersed with those that still reach 80-90 degrees. We never really know what we're going to get when it comes to October weather in Georgia. Sometimes, we get...

"Ba-dee-ya, say do you remember, ba-dee-ya, dancing in September, ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day!" I hope you sang those popular Earth Wind & Fire lyrics in your head (even better if you sang them out loud!). September brings the official first day of autumn (9/23), so we can look forward to cooler temps, fall holidays and festivities, and t...

Recently, a close friend of mine lost her father to cancer. Though I've lost both my parents, I didn't want to diminish the gravity of her grief by equating it to my own experiences. I know all too well that everyone grieves differently. I wanted to comfort her, but I just didn't quite know how to reach her when she was in such a sad place.Oftentim...

Happy 10th Birthday, Canton Family Life magazine and Woodstock Family Life magazine! This month, we celebrate a decade of bringing positive stories, educational content, community events, and the announcements of new business openings to our readers — all of which would not have been possible without the support of our readers and advertisers, for ...