Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/578359
26 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • October 2015 family values Final Resolve. Value FAMILY. BY ELAINE STONE by voting for favorites in the magazine. You are not unknown to me. I see you all around town pushing strollers, shopping carts, playing in parks and attending school functions. I may not know your name, but I envision myriads of you each time I sit down to write. I am humbled by the moments you gave. Thank you for adding to my life in ways I had never dreamed and contributing to who I am as a writer and person. I am confident the heart of this magazine is to serve and supplement your lives. I believe life keeps moving and changing. Embrace the age and stage you are in. Dream of what's ahead, but don't sacrifice today's moments for tomorrow's wonderings; today is too precious! It has been my unexplainable honor. Till we meet again on a different page ...Elaine Stone, mother of three "in- loves" and three "grands" lives in Spotsylvania County. Write: elainestone@juno.com F or over a decade, I have met you here each month. This has been a place of privilege for me. Sharing the parenting journey with so many of you has been a great joy. As our beloved Fredericksburg Parent Magazine grows, seeks to encourage families and adapt to the ever-evolving publishing world...this is our final meeting in this space. However, I will meet you on other pages of this magazine from time to time. Yet, I feel deep resolve to leave a few final thoughts to sum up our time together and thank you for your kind responses to me and the words I felt compelled to pen. Three words sum up this space: value your family! They are your greatest gifts under heaven; priceless and irreplaceable. As the years pass, times together will become less momentary and daily and their value will soar. Amidst the joys and sorrows, life is shared. Standing beside each other, mountains can be faced, multiplying joys and dividing sorrows. Belonging to each other is essential. Hearts were designed for love and bonding. Healthy families are the safest places for souls to reside. Hugs those necks, kiss those faces, speak encouraging words and treasure your gifts. You will never regret it! Thank you for sharing life with me. We may never have met face- to-face, yet we have shared. Many times in the community you have encouraged me by words of affirmation. Some have written via email. Still others by comments on the website. And others, voiced Value Your Family!