Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1340266
WHAT A FABULOUS TIME to focus on the elation and happiness of celebrating love and planning beautiful weddings. It's wonderful to remember that, even though we're living through challenges and fears due to a pandemic, we have been reminded of the most important lesson we could learn – love matters. Whether it's the love for a spouse, a parent, a child or a fur baby, love is that formidable feeling that blesses your life in ways nothing else can. It's knowing that being in the presence of cherished loved ones fills you with indescribable joy and is the place you want to remain. If you are fortunate enough to experience the adoration of a fur baby, especially during these bleak times, you know what unconditional love feels like. Whether you have a dog, cat, bird or hamster, you have seen what it's like to have a constant companion helping to stave off the negative effects of isolation. When you have a pet, you're never alone. And in this strange period when we're warned to stay away from others and avoid touching anyone else, you can be thankful pets totally disregard this recommendation. Fur babies fill the void of lack of touch by sitting in your lap, begging for tummy rubs and looking at you with priceless adoration. Maybe the greatest evidence of our love for our humans is to continually let them know we believe they're the most remarkable creatures that have ever lived. You see, it doesn't matter if you're employed or if you've been laid off, if you're thin or you gained the "COVID 19," if you dress up every day or you've been wearing pajamas for 11 months, we love you more than life itself and we love every second we spend with you. During this season of love, reach out to your local rescue or shelter and bring home a special soul who will offer you ceaseless devotion, loyalty and admiration. You will experience a bond and depth of love like no other. You will have an affectionate companion by your side to help endure whatever lies ahead. It's what we do. – PATTI JONES LOCAL BUZZ Girl Scouts share their teen-approved Macon destinations KEEPING TEENS ENTERTAINED is notoriously difficult, but Macon's Girl Scout Troop No. 60043 recently launched a social media project called Scouting Around Macon that showcases Macon's teen-girl- approved activities. The girls test the destinations as a troop and post photos with informative captions about their experiences on their Instagram, @ScoutingAroundMacon, and on their website, scoutaroundmacon. medium.com. The destinations come in two parts: somewhere to hang out and somewhere to eat nearby. Their top picks are: • Coleman Hill + The Rookery • Museum of Arts and Sciences + The Casserole Shop • Tattnall Square Park + Mercer Village • Society Garden + Ingleside Village Pizza Eliza Grace Wood, age 12, is one of the designers of the project. "This project is important because many teenagers say there is nothing fun to do around Macon, but really there is," she said. "Our project's purpose is to try to promote places for teens to have fun just like adults do." Julia Wood, Eliza Grace's mom and troop leader, said the "project gives girls the opportunity to take a leadership role in their community. I hope the girls learn to get involved and be a positive advocate in any community where they live." The project also teaches them marketing skills and social media professionalism. A recent post on their Instagram account promotes one of our local educational treasures: The Museum of Arts and Sciences. The girls write, "you will never get bored of this museum! They change out some of their exhibits to give you fresh, new entertainment. … The museum has exhibits that could include bugs, the Megalodon and interesting artwork. What will be next? Let's find out!" To help support their project, Eliza Grace recommends that "girls should go to these exciting places to take pictures and post them using our hashtag (#girlsMACONitfun) so these amazing places can be shown to an even broader audience of teenagers." – SIERRA STEVENS AC PUP Love endures PHOTO BY VAN VANDEWALKER 24 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021