Be Challenged

Publisher’s Letter From Your Fearless Leader


“Change does not change tradition. It strengthens it. Change is a challenge and an opportunity, not a threat.”

Prince Philip of England


What a wild ride we have taken on the rollercoaster of life in the last few months. In August, we were getting “Back To” life. September was our “Change” issue, which rolled into October with our “Creativity” issue. We decided to get creative with our branding and we revamped our focus to #bebetterbebella, to start where we are and to find our voices. We are telling our truth. We are honoring the process by accepting where we are at and identifying what needs to change so we can be better. We are expanding.

Now we enter November with our “Tradition” issue. Tradition is not what it used to be. We are building on the stepping stones of our traditions and we are innovating. We are taking our creativity and backing it with tradition to make our innovation lasting and to pave our path for the future.

“Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.”

– Winston Churchill

The challenge this month, while we learn to survive and thrive during a pandemic, is to remember where we come from without reverting to what no longer serves us. As caring members of a family, a church, an organization, or a community, we can be respectful of the traditions that came before the year 2020, and we can incorporate the growth and change and innovation we had to undergo to survive. We are a living part of a paradigm shift happening before our eyes. We must embrace it while also embracing loved ones who may not wish to venture into a non-traditional future.

My pathway remains uncertain. Challenges greet me at every turn. Am I afraid? No. Do I want to seek the comfort of what I have always known? Yes. But I have been blessed beyond measure with the amazing people who come into my life on a daily basis. I pray, each time someone is put in my life, that we may help each other, that our efforts may be synergistic, and that we will be better together. God answers prayers.

Rick Osbon, Mayor of the City of Aiken, sat down with me to about his new column in Bella and about what excites him about being Mayor. He shares similar prayers to mine — he prays every morning for God to put the people in front of him that he can help that day. If you do not know the Mayor of Aiken very well, his column is sure to be an insight into this amazing man and his passion for Aiken and its people.

John Toli takes another break from horse nutrition this month with the second installment of Horsemanship vs. Humanship. He shares with us that you can only move toward something, not away. This struck me in kind of a profound way. With the ability to pave our own pathways, what are we moving toward? John encourages us to be positive, think positive, and visualize positive!

“Whether or not we follow any particular spiritual tradition, the benefits of love and kindness are obvious to anyone.” 

– Dalai Lama

With the new path I venture down, I look forward to new traditions to be adopted, new places to go for the holidays, and new people to celebrate these precious moments with. Aiken will forever be my home, my anchor, my community. Palmetto State, I am excited to explore what you have to offer and even more excited to share with the community the amazing culture, cuisine, and people of the South.

Picture of Ladonna Armstrong

Ladonna Armstrong

Publisher of Aiken Bella Magazine.
Picture of Ladonna Armstrong

Ladonna Armstrong

Publisher of Aiken Bella Magazine.

In the know

Related Stories

Finding the Perfect Dress | Shopping Local for Generations | Palmetto Bella

Finding the Perfect Dress | Shopping Local for Generations

The perfect dress was waiting for me in a small boutique in Aiken. Caroline’s should have been the first place I looked, but I live in Charleston. I spent an entire afternoon perusing all the shops on King Street with a friend. Nothing fit. If it did fit, it did not look right for my age or shape. Women in their mid-fifties want to be stylish and classy, which should not be difficult when one is a perfect 10. That is, size 10, so yes, I am curvy with an emphasis on hips. I was looking for a dress to wear for my daughter’s wedding rehearsal and dinner in March.

Read More »
The Joy of Journaling | Palmetto Bella

The Joy of Journaling

Journaling has long been a way for humans to validate their experiences, concerns, and hopes. It gives the writer a feeling of meaningful achievement in creating a permanent record of his or her life, and it leaves a legacy for family and friends as well. History is built upon the records of those who took the time to leave us their thoughts and experiences. Some of the most powerful diaries are those written by pioneers, men and women at war, and those segregated in one way or another from society. Thoreau, Florence Nightingale, and Lewis and Clark are a few who left priceless accounts of life in other times. We

Read More »
Oh, Wow! | Palmetto Bella

Oh, Wow!

“Oh, wow!” she kept saying, in that breathless sort of wonder that can be heard only in the voice of youth and innocence. “Oh, wow!” Her tiny nose and hands pressed against one store window and then another. She pointed to counter after counter filled with candy. And then several displays of plastic eggs. And scenes of stuffed bunnies and yellow chicks and woven baskets of every size. Even a stack of nothing more than colorful socks caused her to express delight. “Oh, wow!” she said, again and again, as her tiptoes carried her from place to place, store to store, joy to joy. She is only two-and-a-half years old,

Read More »
Be Self-Confident | Palmetto Bella

Be Self-Confident

“My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.” Instead I was a painter, and I became Picasso.’” Pablo Picasso Growing up, I was fortunate to have a “cool mom.” She was, and still is, very generous and hospitable. She was always at events and parties, usually with food. We would come home with friends and she would have fresh-baked cookies, and cheese and cracker and fruit platters, all laid out for us. She would go with us to water parks, set up a “home base,” and let us wander the water park and

Read More »