After Thoughts

Profound are the words laid together after the struggle of disease has passed.  For some the long journey has ended in triumph; for others final rest, yet in each story, those who offered comfort and support were transformed by the experience.  Sometimes life makes poets of us by the fervor of our reflection and remembering.  When those stories that well up inside us are joined with the patience needed to choose words, rhythms, and images that touch the heart, true gems of prose, poetry, and paintings are born.

With skill and courage, our many contributors have beautifully written about the deeper moments of life and offered insight into what gives us strength, hope, and joy to carry on.  They have spoken with voices that refuse to give up, take notice of beauty along the way, and inspire us to question where life's meaning is found.

Sometimes suffering is not seen on the surface of our skin or even in the depths of our eyes.  And, sometimes victory is not in the reprieve of remission, but in having built character to love and look beyond our pain.  We are so proud of what this issue has become.  We are deeply grateful to our contributors and readers who, for a moment, have made it possible to live outside ourselves and find our own story being told.

Print copies of the journal are now available!

Help support Touch by purchasing a copy for your library or to share with a loved one.

Thank you again for joining us.

O.P.W. Fredericks, Editor

Daniel Milbo, Assistant Editor