Archives of Inspiration

Chasing Childlike Wonder: Go ahead, have some fun.

Growing up, my family has always had a habit of pointing out personality traits in others; thanks, Aunt Betty, I would have never known I was sensitive if you hadn’t told me 14 Thanksgivings in a row. But after 40+ years, I’ve grown to accept it, and most of the time, what is said doesn’t […]
2 years ago

Doing Things You’re Bad At

Permission granted to not know what you’re doing (and have fun, anyway) By Jasmine Jones I am a recovering perfectionist. In high school, my problem was at its worst, so naturally, I was drawn to participate in the art form centered around perfection: ballet. When you’re a ballet dancer, every movement is inspected, corrected and […]
2 years ago

from the editor, Fall 2022: Stay

Camping is about surrender. That’s what I reflected on as I sat on my favorite rock in a valley of the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains on a recent packtrip with my dad. When camping, you wake up when it gets light and go to sleep when it gets dark. You talk, […]
2 years ago

Bloom: Arrange flowers like the professionals

By Jennifer Goodman Fresh flowers can help any place feel like home. Want to treat yourself and teach yourself a new hobby? Go out and gather some flowers, put those babies in a vase, and enjoy the beauty of the bloom.  Of course, we can’t stop there. Arranging flowers takes skill, creativity and a little […]
2 years ago

Wherever I Go

By Molly Phegley A Remedy for Homesickness  The things that stay  stick to me like glue  and settle under the skin  only to be disclosed in moments of revelation.  The things that stay  wrap me in a warm embrace  of familiar feelings and moments I’ve observed before a curly-headed child singing along with the birds […]
2 years ago

Hiding Notes in the Places I’ve Left 

By Jasmine Jones The best place to hide a note is in the ceiling. Or inside a couch; specifically, an old, broken one.  That is what I learned after searching my dorm building for all the places people ignore and forget. In those forgotten places, I placed a small piece of paper, a small piece […]
2 years ago

What’s Left Behind

By Amanda Flinn A Mother’s Day Reflection My chest tightens as a lump forms in my throat. It’s a rushing flood of emotion quickly becoming      familiar.  Typically, I ride the wave, knowing this, too, shall pass.   But today is different.   Scanning the room, I count the tiles on the wall. Then, […]
2 years ago

from the editor: movement, Summer 2022

I used to think I had to do everything I wanted to do in my life before I turned 30. Now, as I leave behind my 20s and move into a new decade, instead of feeling like a closing, life feels like it is opening up. And I’m pretty delighted by the surprise of that. […]
3 years ago

Pet Peeves: What ticks you off?

When we came across a list of pet peeves by Cher, it gave us great insight into who she is as a person, and it also gave us a beautiful realization: The things we don’t like tell us just as much about ourselves as the things we do.  So in these pages, we get to […]
3 years ago

meet along the way: Mildred Wilson

By Kristin Thomas This story was first published in the March 2021 issue of “The Best Years (TBY).” Mildred Wilson of Sikeston, Mo., has always enjoyed physical challenges and competitions. Throughout the past three years, she has competed in a Tough Mudder and a Conquer the Gauntlet race. She knows what it takes to train, […]
3 years ago