Here we are. August 2021.

Editorial Letter

PAULETTE WOOTEN, Editor-in-chief

Paulette Wooten, Editor-in-Chief

www.thetreehouseandco.com

August: the naptime of summer. Vacations are ending, prep for school beginning, the temperature keeps climbing, we’ve eaten our fill of watermelon. We’ve traveled and fished and visited and backyard barbecued our hearts out. We celebrated dads in June and America in July. But August. Still summer, with that sense of freedom the season promises, but a quiet little month missing the star quality of June and July. The zeal of that first lake plunge in June, the fireworks of July… summer fun starts dwindling as the calendar points us toward September beginnings. Have we worn ourselves out with gatherings and goings? Dear August, what about you should excite us?

August could be the new enticing month, but it doesn’t quite live up to its definition: “impressive.” If I could be August’s publicist for the month, my plan would be to market what’s true. August is more than a blah transitional month. So let’s talk about the awkwardness of transition, so we all know we’re not alone.

The truth is August, forgotten and no-frills, bears its own beauty. Pointing out the inbetween times are where we become. Become mindful of where we are in life. Become au courant with our true selves. Become aware of what we need, what we want, what to keep, what to let go of, what to change, what serves us, what harms us, what we long for, what we have, and what we will make of the days ahead.

Does that sound like a tough assignment? Maybe, but then just think of the reward! Just think of the delight of becoming the person you’ve hoped to be. Transition is the highway to that place of personhood, of knowing yourself completely and adjusting yourself and your world. The hard part is showing up to your life and learning to be. How do you start? By being present and honest with yourself. You don’t have to tell a soul what you’re learning or unlearning in transition. It’s for you. It’s to heal you. It’s through this transition that you will become more whole. More fully present for yourself and eventually those around you. True and lasting transition starts with you and can only be maintained by you. We are transition. Sometimes exciting. Sometimes uninteresting. Sometimes electrifying. Many times humdrum, but embracing transition makes uneventful days feel like you are on a divine passage.

Transition is the life mission of Emily Sutherland…Dear friend, encourager and bridge builder, co-founder of Love Better World, Emily has been walking alongside Kim and me for many years. She and her husband Scott's work is based on the belief that "the world gets better when we learn to love better at home, in our communities, and around the world." Emily is a podcaster and career writer. For decades, she’s helped others communicate their messages to thousands, and now she’s sharing what she’s learned along the way. We met at one of our first Treehouse events and reconnected in 2019 in North Carolina when we hosted a few couples for an Amy Grant concert at The Biltmore. Emily and Scott are the brave and vulnerable type of people you love to share a meal and conversation with any chance you get. You won’t want to miss Emily’s insightful article about transition on page 14.

Scott and Emily Sutherland, Love Better

Scott and Emily Sutherland, Love Better

www.lovebetter.world

OTHER “DON’T MISS” HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE:

Our Top It Off interview with our friend and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Mary Gauthier has a way of always putting life in perspective. The first conversation I had with Mary was after a "sing for your supper" picking party. Everyone in the room was a prolific songwriter, and with a lucky invite, Kim and I got to sit in and share our "Is It Alright," the first song we wrote as our new duo, Wooten Hill. Even after more than 25 years as professional musicians, we were both so nervous. This moment. This room was sacred. I've recalled my quick chat with Mary a hundred times. She said, "You belong here. We're just troubadours traveling, singing, and supporting one another. You have a place here." That was a transitional moment for me as a songwriter. The shot in the arm. The ray of hope I needed to pursue a new dream.

Mary Gauthier, Singer-Songwriter, Author

www.marygauthier.com

Mary was a chef in Louisiana before she was the acclaimed songwriter of "Mercy Now," and if you're lucky enough to have some of her gumbo, you know you've tasted greatness. Her new book, "Saved by a Song," has that same effect. I've been hanging onto every word of her book, especially as she reminds us in this divisive time "a song can change a heart by creating empathy. A changed heart has the power to change a mind. And when a mind changes, a person changes. When people change, the world changes. One song, one heart, one mind, one person at a time."

Wow. Powerful words. Impressive, just like I hope August will turn out for you after all. In the settling down of summer activities and the ramping up of routines may your transition will be transcendent. May this August earn a place of honor alongside her sisters June and July. And, for you, a memorable passage into fall.