From the editorial director

New Life Journal, August-Sept, 2004 by Aviva Hirsch

How do you savor the feeling of summertime? The answer, it seems, only a child knows, and they'll never tell you in words. That's because part of being a child is letting go, being in the moment, and letting your imagination (and legs!) run wild.

As adults, we need to remind ourselves to take time out from our busy routines, to bring us back to the moment. Sometimes we make things more complicated than they need to be. It's pretty easy to rely on computers, fast food, cars, cell phones for convenience, but is the peace of mind we're getting at the expense of our mindfulness?

The other day at home, I went online to research antique mother-of-pearl buttons to embellish my wedding invitations. Naturally, I googled, expecting to discover sources from France or Italy, or maybe New York. A bunch of websites appeared, and I clicked on the very first. I was shocked (and a little embarrassed!) to find it was the website of the small specialty sewing shop in town. On my block. Just across the street. I turned my head to look out the window. I didn't even need to strain, there it was, under my nose.

I took it as a sign. The sign was to get up and look around, and to question what is "convenient." These days, we pass on a lot of conveniences to our children. We give them hyper-imaginative video games to play indoors or while traveling; we prevent illnesses with quick vaccinations, and give them drugs to ease their behavioral problems. But, a part of us questions these solutions, and searches for alternative options.

This issue, we focus on Children's Health, and offer some new information to understand the needs of our next generation. In "The Mystery, Cause, and Treatment of ADHD" we discover that "attention deficit" is a misnomer, and explore a wide range of natural treatments. In "Getting Your Kid Hooked on Gardening" we secretly hope you find yourself hooked on playing in the dirt, too. And just for fun, we interviewed the kids themselves and asked them to tell us what makes them feel healthy. Amid their answers like "ice cream" and "swimming," they taught me a real lesson: fun makes us healthy, and so do yummy food and good friends, and laughing. Instead of focusing on production and information, kids spend lots of time paying attention to the magic of the world right outside their door.

Enjoy!

Aviva Hirsch, Editorial Director