A Chanukah Message from Roni Robbins

For whatever reason, God blessed me with a talent and love of words. It isn’t the most lucrative career, and it wasn’t always a secure way of making a living. There were times I considered straying from journalism into a more stable field such as public relations or involving my other sidelines, weight management and exercise. But those paths never materialized, and I stayed a writer.

In truth, I never expected to be an editor. I thought my only calling was to be a reporter. But I took a leap of faith and grew into the job I’ve held for 2 ½ years now. It actually is a good use of my skills. It capitalizes on my 35 years of being the one receiving the editing, which I believe makes me empathetic with those on the other side of the red pen, so to speak.

At the heart of my editing is my writing, which I still manage to regularly produce. Through my articles, I hope I pass a little piece of myself along and that others will be so moved to post and share, passing along the flame. I hope the words I leave on the page and on the screen inspire and entertain, enrich, amaze and most importantly, enlighten. Perhaps when you read my writing – or that of any of our writers — you chuckle or cry. If you know me or them personally, maybe you hear our voices reading to you. You sense the emotion felt as we wrote the words and organized them to have the greatest impact.

Sometimes I feel as if my stories write themselves. The details speak to me and I’m like an artist with God guiding my writing or typing hands. In the end, I truly believe my writing ability is a gift, to share with the readers and bind us together. It’s the most sincere present I have, literally from my mind and soul, I can pass along throughout the year to the community.

Roni Robbins is associate editor of the Atlanta Jewish Times.