Letter from the Editor, Fall 2014

Dear Reader,

How would you color delight? A marriage proposal, an unexpected promotion, having your book accepted for publication? Any one of those would be cause for happiness. The dictionary defines delight as, “a strong feeling of happiness: great pleasure or satisfaction.”

Thankfully, our lives are filled with delightful moments. Because, although we’ve all experienced that gush of pleasure at a major happening in our lives, not all delight results from monumental occurrences. Often the emotion is evoked by simple things, such as the sound of a baby gurgling, the sight of a kitten or puppy at play, or the fresh scent of rain-washed air first thing in the morning. Delight has as many variations as there are people to experience it. And fortunately, we have an enjoyable span of delight to share with our readers in this issue—from excellent artwork and photography to poems, stories and essays—all sharing delight in the varied voices of our talented artists and authors.

One thing that all delight has in common, though, is our inability to sustain it. That’s part of what makes the emotion so . . . well . . . delightful. It’s that sudden moment of often unexpected pleasure that graces every life, from the intensity of the big occasion to the subtlety of a rainbow, a child’s laughter on the wind, the perfect dress on the rack—or perhaps an answer to a question you didn’t even know you needed until you found it.

I’ve gotten great satisfaction from editing this special issue of When Women Waken because it speaks to those wondrous moments of joy that spark so easily within the human heart and that help make the less glowing hours of daily life worthwhile.

I hope a piece or more here will spark that special flint of happiness in your heart as you read.

As always, I’m delighted by and thankful to the many talented women who continue to contribute to making When Women Waken a place of sisterhood for all women. Recently I came across a message chalked onto a board that read, “The one thing stronger than magic is sisterhood.” So my friends, please keep those magic wands (be they pens, paintbrushes or cameras) waving bravely and productively. It would be a sad world without the power each woman brings to it. Together, we can illuminate the darkness with laughter and delight.

Please visit often and don’t forget to support us by purchasing our issues when they become available.

Blessings,

Kerry Holjes

Managing Editor

When Women Waken

Category: When Women Waken Literary Journal