Dear Friends and Readers,

A friend and I were joking the other day about how dads don’t seem to get the love on Father’s Day like moms do on Mother’s Day. This month’s “Salute to Heroes” event has given Change the perfect opportunity to showcase the power of father’s love. Michael Hutchinson and his son Ray Joseph had an amazing bond that has never been broken, despite the fact that Michael and his family lost Ray Joseph when he was killed in Iraq at 20 years old.

Michael, his wife Deborah, and so many others are keeping the love and the memory of Ray Joseph alive through a foundation that honors local veterans everywhere. Learn more on p. 16. This story touched my heart deeply, and it is my hope that it touches yours as well—and awakens a new and lasting appreciation for the people in your life. Parents, children and others can certainly get on our nerves at times! But perspective teaches us that life is short and each moment and relationship is to be treasured.

In May I had the honor of meeting and interviewing the author and the director of The Help at CHRISTUS St. John’s LiveWell conference (p. 22). We discussed the need for people to speak out on injustices they see in the world—despite fear of criticism or controversy. Each of us has the power to create positive change by simply standing up for what we believe is right!

This month kicks off our “Summer Read”—“A Fine Day for a Divorce” (p. 42), an original three-part mini-novel by local author Harry Steven Lazerus. After the success of last summer’s “Leo the Lion,” I couldn’t wait to read this year’s story! It has quite a few twists and turns that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. It also has an interesting message about love.

My editorial staff and I are currently planning articles for upcoming issues. If you have a topic of interest, or comments about the articles we offer monthly, I’d love an email from you. Our commitment is to continue to bring the very best articles in the Bay Area to our readers. And they can be easily read on your tablet and smart phone. I invite your comments on any article on our website. You can also share articles with others from our website through FB, Twitter, Google+ and other social networking. Your feedback helps us deliver what readers want.

Happy Father’s Day! Enjoy your vacations and time with family this summer.

Thanks for reading,