LIFE, LOTTERY & THE PURSUIT OF HOLIDAY HAPPINESS

When Brad Pitt shared, in a recent The New York Times feature, “Life isn’t always the lottery it appears from the outside looking in,” I think many of us took pause to think about that truth for more than a moment. Anyone who knows and reads this magazine realizes that although we present the  freshest, most positive and prettiest picture of life in Texas as we can, we sometimes may make it all look a little too easy.

These five-star events we chronicle, celebrate and elevate take a tremendous amount of time to create in the first place. You know that. A seasoned chairperson, or an executive director of a non-profit philanthropic endeavor, knows that the planning for the following year begins the very same night  that the current year’s gala is still occurring, even before the last car is retrieved from the valet line, or the final tally has been  totaled for the evening’s live auction items. It’s a litany of work: preparation, rehearsals, chair leaders announced, committees formed, event planners hired, emcees enlisted, press releases drafted, invitations sent, and about a thousand other details…have to be streamlined for the magic of that one glorious evening that changes the  course and impact of each organization it benefits with the funds it raises. Whew.

XO Lance Avery Morgan

Photography by Gregg Cestaro

So, the images and stories we present about each of these special evenings over the year take an entire year to come to fruition. It’s so very much more than the stunning dresses and dapper tuxedos, as any event leader can attest. We applaud you and look forward to another year ahead of sharing the best of the best of Texas events and global happenings where our favorite Texans are attached. You can count on us.

You can also depend on us to provide up-to-the-moment insight of where to go, what to see, and how to do it in grand style, thanks to our talented editorial, digital and publishing teams who are the wheels in the machine you’re holding. We like to call it our Social Code…it’s similar to the sage Cowboy Code that many refer to daily. It includes taking pride in your work, and when you make a promise, keep it. Remembering that some things will never be for sale and live each day with courage. Then, there’s knowing where to draw the line is often as important as when talking less is saying more.

This time of the year, you bet we’re both sentimental and optimistic here. It’s a special time of the season to enjoy family and friends and take stock of the future ahead. When you feel like you’ve got your arms around something, then it’s time to go get your arms around something else. Until we meet again in the ballroom helping others, have a blast and celebrate all that life has to offer.