A Letter from the
EDITOR
& PULL
Marji's dog Henry "pulling" her along Lake Michigan
PUSH
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I
have to be honest; I struggled a bit to think about what to write to you readers about our May theme of Push and Pull. I Googled “push and pull” phrases for maybe three days. I found that “push and pull” has many different meanings and connotations that are based on context. My first Google attempt found information on push and pull factors in relation to immigration — these factors being what motivates or "pulls" people to immigrate to a new country or what "pushes" them away from their home. This made me think about my conversation with Chef Ava Yau, who graces our cover this month (page 12). Chef Ava tells her story about her early life in Thailand and her pull to come to America to further her studies and continue focusing on her passion for pastry and cuisine. Another context where we experience push and pull is in parenting. Our contributor Monica Brancheau writes about the journey of raising children into teenagers (page 26). She lets us peek into her world as a mom raising multiple teens. She reminds us that our teens are grown up and independent in some moments, but at other times they still need to cuddle (and so do we!). It is this strange in-between time of push and pull — pushing towards adulthood, yet pulling back into childhood. A more literal take on the concept of push and pull is life with a dog. Dogs are always pushing us to take them for that daily beloved walk and pulling us along as they sniff and explore. If you are a dog lover like me, check out our story from our friends over at Destination Ann Arbor, where they share with us all the fun places around town our dogs can pull us toward (page 24). What are your thoughts about push and pull? Did you think of another way it can be applied? Drop me a line if you have other thoughts you’d like to share. I hope you enjoy our May issue. Happy spring!
Marji Wisniewski, Managing Editor
6 | The Brick Magazine
