Heroes All Around

I undoubtedly have a
watered-down standard of heroism. For me, given the stresses of raising
children, I’m impressed with any parents who manage to raise their kids
with affection, kindness, a consistent ability to say no, and a general
sense of calm for a few hours at a time! They are my heroes. Parents in
sandboxes. Parents on playground slides. Heroes! Parents who help their
overwhelmed parent friends by watching their children for a few hours.
Parents who help PTAs and sports leagues. Parents who take the time to
be extra solicitous of their neighbor’s kids so their apartment
buildings feel like nice places to grow up. All of that is heroic to me. —

But
the people celebrated in our annual tribute to local Family Heroes are
deserving in ways that are above and beyond my everyday standards.
Typically, they are in the fortunate position of being able to have a
positive influence on lots of kids, lots of families. More importantly,
they deliver.

My
colleagues and I like to challenge ourselves each year to come up with a
group of Family Heroes that is so varied, it’s a tribute to the
limitless possibilities of giving back and an inspiration to others. I
hope you’ll take a few minutes to get to know this year’s group
(starting on page 55), and let us know if we’ve hit our mark.

I
don’t know our cover subject Carley Roney well enough to describe her
as heroic, but without question she is inspiring. Working with her
long-time partner, husband David Liu, Carley is Co-Founder of the
powerhouse wedding planning brand The Knot, along with The Nest and The
Bump. She’s helped so many new families get from here to there—all the
while raising three delightful kids of her own. Don’t those amazing
pictures (page 48) speak for themselves? The interview even more so!

There’s
so much in this issue that I want to recommend and so little space in
which to do it. To wit: Don’t miss the Holiday Gift Guide (page 42), the
Charity Guide (page 68), and the personal essays on giving back (page
66) and running the marathon (82).

Have a Happy December! I hear it’s a good month for everyday heroics.

ERIC MESSINGER

EDITOR

emessinger@manhattanmedia.com

Manhattan Mandarin

Manhattan Mandarin runs the Mandarin after-school programs at over 40 schools nationwide, including St. Bernard's, Chapin, Allen-Stevenson, and Buckley. Whether in schools, students' homes, in the office, online, or on our beloved China trips, our teachers and tutors have helped hundreds of students of all ages master the Mandarin language on their own unique paths to fluency. Our philosophy has always been to make private lessons and classes perfectly tailored for each individual student. We look forward to working with you. - Jamie Keyte, Founder

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We offer sports activities, after school programs, birthday parties &amp; private lessons for kids ages 3&ndash;13 years! Our gymnastics classes are a great way to keep your child active and healthy. We strive to empower and challenge children through the sport of gymnastics.

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