Back to Bella

Ladonna Armstrong

September 11, 2019

Partnerships are sometimes like marriages – some make it; some don’t.

Over the summer my business partnership split up, and I am happily publishing Bella on my own now. Getting this first solo issue out has been difficult, but at the same time it has exceeded my expectations. Once again I have received an overwhelming amount of support from the community with comments like “You got this!” to “Let me know if there is ANYTHING I can do to help you out.” Bella has been everything I thought it would be, and I have been connecting with the community just as I hoped I would! That partnership is working!

Back to Basics

For quite some time, inside me, there has been a “pull” to this magazine, something I needed to do. When faced with multiple challenges over the summer, it took everything I had in the way of perseverance and tenacity to get this issue out. I had a pure love of Aiken behind my efforts and at every crossroads, I chose Bella.

I had a vision that I had to go back to basics. First, I had to define those basics, and keep them in front of me as my warrior shield for every challenge I took on. It turned out to be very simple:

God is good. He shows up, right on time.

I love my four daughters.

I love Aiken.

And right now, that’s enough.

During the summer, I also learned something about accomplishment. For my father, now deceased, I knew it was all about status and money. However, I just found out that for my mother, it means setting a goal and attaining it. I am following my mother’s example, and that’s why you’re reading this column right now.

Back to the Future

Publishing a magazine means always looking to the future one issue at a time and also looking at the big picture. I want Bella to have a multimedia presence – print, online, blogging, social media, and even YouTube. I want to expand distribution beyond that invisible 50-mile radius to draw more people into Aiken, so we can share this wonderful place we have.

Of course, there are lots of other things and experiences in life I want to add as I go along – for Bella and for myself. I have a feeling those will happen naturally.

Thanks to my Bella “Backers”

I want to thank the many people who have supported me in pursuing this dream and making it come true. I feel very accomplished right now, and I couldn’t have done it without you. There are too many to mention here, but the following were my heavy hitters, the ones that helped keep the game going:

Ladonna Armstrong

Publisher of Aiken Bella Magazine.

Ladonna Armstrong

Publisher of Aiken Bella Magazine.

In the know

How to Say the Hard Things

Have you ever been in a situation where you are not sure how to say what needs to be said? Sometimes it’s sympathy for the loss of a loved one or an expression of sadness for an illness or unfortunate occurrence. We know the words, of course, but are they the right ones? Are they the words we would want to hear? Experts say there is no one correct way to express feelings of comfort or sadness, but it is important to convey our good intentions and concern. Many of us do this with a phone call. Finding the right words can be difficult. We want to comfort without intruding.

Letter From the Editor

The dialogue took place in church, in late August 2019, just before the service began. Ladonna and I had become closer friends in the month before, and she seemed a bit stressed. me: “Everything OK?” Ladonna: “No, we’re behind on Bella and I’m up against the deadline.” me: “How can I help?” Ladonna: “What can you do?” me: “I’m a trained proof reader.” Ladonna: “Can you be at the studio at 6?” me: “Yup.” And then the music started. So for 18 months I have edited all of the content in Bella. I was fortunate to be raised by parents who were meticulous in their use of the English language.

Be Lucky

“If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.” John Irving March is The Luck Issue! I always thought of March as a lucky month. It the month of spring’s arrival and rebirth, a week’s vacation for spring break that almost always includes travel, horse racing and hats, St. Patrick’s Day, and the occasional Easter, and it is the month in which I was born. Lots of things to celebrate! This month we completed an entire year of surviving a pandemic. So much has changed, and I feel extremely lucky that Bella and I have both survived

Don’t Get It Twisted | Untwist the Love

Let’s not get it twisted. When it comes to matters of the heart, one word tells the story — that word is love. If you are living in this world you have experienced acts of kindness and compassion, butterflies in your tummy, tears in your eyes, and maybe something that feels like a massive heart attack, but not entirely — these characteristics can be feelings associated with love. Some people say, “I had love in my life” or “I am too young to know what love is” or “I was in love once.” Guess what? Love doesn’t have an age limit! Love never leaves us! Love never dies! Love lasts