This Month's Mission

What I Know for Sure
Five years feels like a blip in time. It seems like only months ago that Ellen Levine, editor in chief of Good Housekeeping, and Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines, were sitting around a conference table in my office trying to convince me of the benefits of creating a magazine of empowerment for women. "Why do I need a magazine?" I said. "I already have a full-time job that speaks to women all over the world."

"Because the written word is lasting, and women pass it on," Ellen said.

Well, you got me there. And, my friends, have you ever passed it on!

I was told in that same meeting that it would take about five years to make the publication successful, and that I had to be willing to be patient with its growth. After our first issue, you, our readers, blew that theory. Thanks to you all, O is still riding the wave of one of the most successful launches in the history of magazine publishing.

It was my intention to stimulate, inspire, seduce, and inform you each month. I wanted the words and pictures to be worth your attention and to mean something—because I value every precious moment and I know your time is as important to you as mine is to me. So if you're going to take the time to read an article, it had better deliver what's promised in the title.

I know for sure we've done that again and again: You've told us so in your letters and e-mails. I remember putting together the first issue and fretting over a vase in one picture that didn't have enough flowers to satisfy my idea of lusciousness. I kept saying, "Give me more flowers, a bigger picture." I look at "The Trees That Bloom in the Spring, Tra-La" (page 346) this month and smile. I think you'll agree that is luscious! My, how we've advanced.

Time is fleeting. Those of you with children are ever cognizant of this fact. They keep growing out of themselves. The goal for all of us here at O, personally and professionally, is to keep growing out of ourselves, too, evolving to our best possible lives so we can continue to offer you our best words.

You will notice that there's a resounding theme I often speak of in this column: Live in the moment and treasure every breath. I know for sure that to be present with yourself is the most important gift you can have. Appreciate now, so that the next hour and the next year don't slip away unnoticed. Every moment matters.

Five years—or 55—are a blip on the big screen of life. What's important is what you do with the time you have.

I, for sure, am grateful that you've chosen to spend some of it with me.