LOVE THY BROTHER

When planning the stories for this month’s issue with Executive Editor Gary Corsair, he presented a story he called Junkyard Kings.

At first glance, I wasn’t sure how a story about three Lake County brothers who have all passed away after encountering many hardships would relate to Healthy Living and its readers.

We typically publish features focusing on self-improvement, health, or inspiration. So when Gary presented a story about a caring brother who tried — in vain — to save his younger brothers, I wondered what the take away would be for you, our readers.

As Gary explained the proposed story it became clear that Junkyard Kings had all three elements. Older brother Larry Wright improved himself and tried to show his brothers how they could better their lives. And health is very much a part of the story. Junkyard Kings shows the consequences of stress, failing to get proper rest, and drug abuse. And inspiration is also part of the story. Larry was unable to save his brothers, but he inspired a grandson to achieve great things.

Junkyard Kings is not just a story of three brothers who struggled through life. It’s a story about the love and devotion one brother had for the other two. And it is about his overwhelming desire to see his siblings succeed and to be happy and healthy.

And it’s an exclusive. The story of Lake County’s would-be Junkyard Kings has never been told before now. I’m proud to present it here. I believe it will touch your heart as it has mine.

While reading about these brothers, I began to see extreme similarities between the three brothers and my own family. I am the youngest of three. My sister is five years older than me and my brother is three years younger than her. Even though I am the youngest, I am and always have been the support system for my siblings. Whenever they experience hardships, they come to me. And I’m glad they do. It is only natural that when someone you love is suffering you want to help them. So time and time again I would lift them up… only to see them fall again.

After many heartaches and failed attempts, I decided to offer help in a different way. At first, it may have appeared to them that I was not helping, but it became clear soon enough that this type of help was much more valuable to them. I now offer them help in the form of an open ear when they need to talk, a shoulder to cry on when they need to sob, and I am their biggest cheerleader when they are doing well. I offer them love.

It was a painful lesson for us all, but it was also a necessary lesson. Have you heard the saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink? Well that is true. You can be an advisor for someone, guide them along the way, but if someone you love is struggling with something like drugs, addiction, depression — whatever it may be — you can be a support system for them, but ultimately it is up to that person to make a change in their lives. The desire must come from within them. For me, I learned that there is a very fine line between helping and enabling.

So, much like the older brother in the Junkyard Kings, I learned my lesson the hard way. Therefore, it is my hope that this story will touch someone’s life and help them see that it is okay to want good things for the ones we love, but the outcome of their lives is all up to that individual. You can’t do it for them.

I leave you with this quote from The Bible at Romans 12:9-10: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourself.“

KENDRA AKERS publisher/editor-in-chief kendra@akersmediagroup.com

DOUG AKERS vice president doug@akersmediagroup.com

JAMIE EZRA MARK chief creative officer jamie@akersmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL // DESIGN // PHOTOGRAPHY

GARY CORSAIR executive editor gary@akersmediagroup.com

SHEMIR WILES managing editor/writer shemir@akersmediagroup.com

MARY ANN D ESANTIS editor-at-large maryann@akersmediagroup.com

JAMES COMBS staff writer james@akersmediagroup.com

FRED LOPEZ chief photographer fred@akersmediagroup.com

MATTHEW GAULIN photography assistant matt@akersmediagroup.com

STEVEN J. CODRARO associate creative director steve@akersmediagroup.com

JOSH CLARK senior designer/advertising josh@akersmediagroup.com

ANTHONY CASTO senior designer/editorial anthony@akersmediagroup.com

MICHAEL GAULIN production director michael@akersmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTING contributing writers

ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S

RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT, MD, FACS

RICHARD BURGUET

ROBERT AND THOMAS FROSS

MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH

ANN GUNTER, MS, RD, LD/N

FRED HILTON

TIA O’NEAL contributing photographers

MORGAN ELLIS RON VANDEVANDER

SALES // MARKETING

TIM MCRAE vice president of sales and marketing tim@akersmediagroup.com

MIKE STEGALL senior marketing representative mike@akersmediagroup.com

LORI STRONG marketing representative lori@akersmediagroup.com

MELANIE MELVIN marketing director melanie@akerscreative.com

HEIDI RESSLER marketing representative heidi@akersmediagroup.com

AUBREY AKERS production coordinator aubrey@akersmediagroup.com

LACEY MORGAN marketing assistant lacey@akerscreative.com

ADMINISTRATION

TINA MORRISON office manager tina@akersmediagroup.com

BRITTANY BUELL administrative assistant brittany@akersmediagroup.com

DISTRIBUTION

SCOTT HEGG distribution manager scott.hegg@akersmediagroup.com

Until next month,

Until next

Kendra Akers. Publisher