No, you haven’t fallen down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. This month’s issue of Tidewater Women is slightly smaller. We figure we’re saving a few dozen trees with our new format, and since I’m a tree hugger, that’s definitely a good thing.

But don’t worry—other than our new size, Tidewater Women will still bring you the same exciting content every month: compelling stories about local women, our ever-popular calendar of events, plus articles and columns by some of the area’s best writers.

But we couldn’t do it without you. As readers, you hold the future of Tidewater Women in your hands. Our advertisers are the ones who make Tidewater Women possible, so show them some love—especially this time of year. Most of our advertisers are local business people, so when you support them, you’re helping our local economy. It’s a win-win!

So let’s look ahead to 2020. What are your hopes and dreams for the new year? I’m a big believer in creative visualization—actually writing down your wishes and goals. It’s a powerful thing to put into writing what you want to achieve in the coming year.

If you’re not sure what you want to wish for, then you need to do some serious thinking, my friend. Life’s too short to stay in one place. There’s so much to see, do, and learn. Standing still is the same thing as going backwards. Every day we have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves and create a new, better version of ourselves.

I think I’ll start with that for my 2020 wish list: to try to do better and be better. One way to accomplish this is to reach out and help someone in need. When we lend a hand, we lift up the community as a whole. Let’s try to put aside our differences and concentrate on making this world a better place for all of us to live in, a place to prosper, and a place to find joy.

Thanks for reading us every month and feel free to connect with us on social media. Sign up for our e-newsletter while you’re at it—it’s easy. Just go to our website and click on E-News. While you’re there, sign up for our free monthly giveaway. This month we’re giving away 15 free subscriptions to both Tidewater Women and Tidewater Family ($30 value).

From our small business to you and yours, we wish you a warm, wonderful holiday season and a healthy, safe, and joyous new year.