Last week, Katharine Branning's article from The Fountain, "Mixed Greens of Hope," was a finalist for one of Folio's prestigious Eddie awards. Described as the largest awards competition in magazine media publishing, the Eddies celebrate the best pieces of magazine journalism.

In "Mixed Greens of Hope," Branning - who is the author of the recent book, Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea - uses the metaphor of a salad to explore the difficulties that humans face in coming together. People speak different languages, have different cultures, and practice different religions. But through a chance encounter with the man who makes her salad, Branning is inspired to believe that despite these differences, there is a common language beneath all our different tongues, similar to the Sufi's "language of the heart." By embracing this common song of humanity, Branning believes we can all exist peacefully - much like a well mixed salad.

On being nominated, Branning said, "I am grateful on behalf of The Fountain Magazine, which is dedicated to presenting thought-provoking articles which provide insight into both the rational and the spiritual segments of our existence. We live in such a wonderful world, where there is marvel at every turn of the road. My challenge as a content writer is to take the everyday events of our lives and to see beyond them into the sublime, and to write pieces that can inspire all to see the deeper beauty around us. It is for this reason that my favorite word is "horizon," for it is there that reality and dreams join into a vision of hope."

Although Branning's article didn't win the final prize, her nomination is a great honor. The Fountain is grateful to Folio for the recognition, and congratulates Katharine Branning on her beautiful writing, which helps all of us to better understand one another.