Letter from Publisher

June 1 marks the official start to “meteorological” summer, so that always works for me. Solstice, on June 21, marks “astrological” summer’s beginning and ushers in our longest daylight hours.

While I revel in the long days, I also love to watch June’s lingering twilight as sunset fades to deeper and deeper shades, transforming yellows to oranges and reds, then blues and purples. Gazing toward the ever-darkening June horizon, the final rays of sunlight maintain a faint glow as the Earth turns, until at some indiscernible moment, the sky wears its nighttime colors. This month, the night sky will light up on June 3 with the full Strawberry Moon, while the new Moon of Long Daylight on June 18 will ensure darker skies to usher in summer.

To me, summer skies bring back memories of travels past. As we were selecting images for this month’s issue of Natural Awakenings Chicago, I was captivated by the one of starlit skies off the northern tip of Door County, Wisconsin, photographed brilliantly by John Ivanko for Lisa Kivirist’s travel spotlight, “Door County: Portal for Summer Outdoor Wisconsin Fun in Nature.” Having travelled extensively around the Great Lakes in the U.S. and Canada, his photo immediately brought me back to Lake Michigan and Superior shorelines with similar vistas, as well as other locales I’ve visited. In my mind, I was envisioning myself on the northwest shore of Lake Superior, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, where the Eastern time zone reaches its westernmost point and in late June, the sun sets at 10:02 p.m. (Being at the far eastern end of the Central time zone, our late June Chicago sunset is 8:29 p.m.). Then my mind journeyed  to starry skies I’ve watched over the Rockies, the Smoky Mountains and from a 32-foot sailboat off Traverse Bay during a Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac many years back. Ahhh, memories.

This month, we’re taking our annual June focus on Men’s Wellness in Natural Awakenings. Writer and our national editor Sandra Yeyati talks with Dr. Mark Hyman in our Wise Words department about his thoughts on creating a lifestyle to live our longest and most healthy life, through age 100 and beyond. Hyman is, among his many credentials, a practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader in functional medicine. You’ll find the theme of lifelong wellness woven throughout much of this issue, from our main feature by Carrie Jackson exploring men’s sexual vitality at any age, to our articles exploring healthy metabolism, how posture affects wellness and how to maintain good vision holistically.

Of course, if you read my letter regularly, you know I will encourage you to step outside each and every day to enjoy the season and savor the day. To ease barefooted into the summer spirit, writer Marlaina Donato invites us to bask in what she calls the Soul of Summer. Then, set a local destination as Sheryl DeVore explores three locations in Lake County celebrating our Illinois woodlands as part of the Old-Growth Forest network in her article, “Ancient Trees Play Critical Role.”

As always, I ask you to please find any reason to get up from your desk, step away from the electronics and indoor surroundings, and get outside this month. Spend time in your yard, enter your Chicago garden in the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards contest, visit a farmers market, go to the Lake, hop on your bike or explore a new park or trail. Savor these 30 days of June, and carpe diem this summer!

 

Happy Father’s Day!  Happy Solstice!