Autumn with its rich, vibrant hues inspires us to breathe in the richness of life and celebrate each day. There are the exuberant images of whales waving hello against the mountains of Antarctica. Then there are the tiny, 8mm beauties which radiate an ethereal glow. In between are the landscapes so serenely beautiful they seem like a fantasy brought to life.

Poetry paints the air with its mosaic of sounds. We are seduced by the wail of a saxophone and haunted by the images of a woman struggling against cancer. A sister comes to term with her fractious relationship with her sibling. Young love blossoms on the wooden slats of a dock's edge.

Fiction twists our emotions as an expectant mother fears the worst. A lonely woman craves the grace of dancers' delicate movements. An abused woman clutches at her options and seeks escape.

Non-Fiction aims the spotlight on the experiences of our community. A grandmother struggles with the loss of her beloved mother. A tour guide in Alaska enriches visitors with knowledge of the Tlingit culture. A wife finds friction with her tough-old-bird husband, yet appreciates why they remain side by side.

Life is not a smooth, effortless sail from one coast to another. It is often rough and stormy, with fierce squalls and periods of dead calm where all motion seems to be lost. Maybe it is these stops and starts which remind us to look around us with an active eye and appreciate the beauty which inhabits every corner of our world. Every moment has something to teach us, if we would but stop and listen.

Lisa Shea
BellaOnline.com