Love. What do you think about when you read that word? Do you think about the love you have for your friends, for your life partner, for your parents, for your siblings, for your friends, for your fellow human beings, for all sentient beings? Before you read on, take a second to think about what the word “love” means to you.

For me, I have a lot of love—of different kinds—in my heart, just busting to get out. I have a romantic and passionate, yet at the same time old-soul, love for the amazing man in my life; I have a deep connective love for my best friend; I have love for all of my friends, some of which I’ve known since early childhood; I love my family; I love my cat; I love chocolate; I love my job; I love these mountains that we call home. And so on and so forth….

So, it’s clear that at least one person, and probably a lot more (seriously, folks, I can’t be the only one), can experience love in many different forms. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no philosopher, so I won’t get into the finer points of love and human existence here: I’ll simply attempt to speak from the heart. Love can take many forms, and this issue of the Guide is dedicated to the many forms of love that are expressed in the human condition.

Our special Wedding Section is devoted mostly to the traditional type of love. But what happens if you’re in love and you want to get married, but the thought of leaving an indelible footprint on our Mother Earth is leaving you cold? Simply take some of Jonathan Ment’s advice on eco-friendly weddings (“To Love, Honor and Cherish…the Earth Also…”). You can express your love for and commitment to another human being in an environmentally friendly way.

Of course, every wedding needs flowers, and Richard Simms of WildFlowers in Margaretville is a perfect choice for those couples who want to combine artistry with sound environmental practices: Richard uses local flowers whenever he can, and even forages the mountains and valleys of the region for unique and beautiful specimens.

It may seem strange to include an article about animal sanctuaries in the wedding section of a magazine. For me, though, it was an easy choice. We love our fellow human beings (well, mostly). We love our adorable pets (well, mostly). But very few of us make the choices we need to make regarding love for all living beings. Read Karin Edmondson’s article on the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and the Catskill Animal Sanctuary (“Farm Animal Rescue: True Love Stories” ), and I promise that you will never be the same. Karin only touches upon the immoral and downright cruel treatment of animals by some people in our society, but she offers hope: there are folks out there who care, and who work hard to counteract years of mistreatment by some people who still cling to the idea that “they’re just animals.” It is inconceivable to me that some people out there believe that we cannot have just as much compassion for them as we feel for our fellow human beings. For me, it’s the ultimate expression of love to raise these questions.

So, I return to the question I posed at the beginning of my letter: what does Love mean to you? There’s no pressure here: Just think about it.

I need to switch gears for a moment to announce our annual Photography Contest. All of the cover and portfolio photos we use throughout the year are chosen from the entries to this contest, so I encourage everyone to enter. You can find an entry form on page 89 of this issue of the Guide, as well as posted on our Web site, www.catskillregionguide.com.

Sincerely,


Sarah Taft
Managing Editor
tafts@catskillmtn.org