Archives of Inspiration

letter from the editor

The first time I put on glasses, I saw leaves. They were on the trees, these beautiful little diamond shapes, two curved lines that met at a point on both ends, straight line down the center, tethered there in place to the branch by a tie, waving in the wind. They had lines around the […]
3 years ago

Letter to My Self at 20: Erin Urhahn

By Erin Urhahn   Dear Erin Urhahn, I  was once a girl in second grade who desired so fully to be grown up. I would toddle in my mother’s closet, flipping through the clothing, admiring adulthood. This was me when I was only seven years old. Now, eight years later, I’m the same girl, with […]
3 years ago

Letter to My Self at 20: Ali Eisenhauer

By Ali Eisenhauer   Oh Ali, Fifteen years seems like such a long time. Fifteen years will come and go so quickly. I don’t want to spoil too much of the fun, but I can tell you that your regrets are few and that life is good. Do me a favor, though, and just relax. […]
3 years ago

Letter to My Self at 20: Noreen Hyslop

By Noreen Hyslop   To the young woman I was, So, you’re 20. It’s 1971. You’ve witnessed a nation mourn the assassination of JFK and watched the gates close on Camelot. You’ve seen The Beatles at Comiskey Park, Joe Cocker live, The Association and Jefferson Airplane. You’ve shared time with The Buckinghams and John Belushi. […]
3 years ago

meet along the way: Christine and Tyson Jaegers

Women do incredible things. Here, we feature the stories of women who are a part of the Southeast Missouri community by way of living here, being from here or passing through. We hope these stories inspire you to connect with others and that they encourage you to be who you are in the world. We […]
3 years ago

meet along the way: Jennifer Abernathy

Women do incredible things. This section features the stories of women who are a part of the Southeast Missouri community by way of living here, being from here or passing through. We hope these stories inspire you to connect with others and that they encourage you to be who you are in the world. We […]
4 years ago

meet along the way: Joan Weeks + Marge Nunnelly

Women do incredible things. Here, we feature the stories of women who are a part of the Southeast Missouri community by way of living here, being from here or passing through. We hope these stories inspire you to connect with others and that they encourage you to be who you are in the world. We […]
4 years ago

From the Editor: Beginnings

I didn’t know how to start this letter, how to open up this issue of the magazine.  It is one of my pet peeves when people start a speech by saying that. I always think, no one knows what to do before they put thought into it; tell us not about the wrestling with the […]
4 years ago

Planning Your Wedding in 2020

To everyone who is hoping to get married this year during an unprecedented global pandemic, we see you. Like having a big sister, sometimes it’s nice to hear from someone who has gone through a difficult experience first. Here, brides and vendors share their wisdom on how they are handling planning weddings in the midst […]
4 years ago

From This Day Forward: Holly (Reynolds) + Tyler McLemore

Maybe it’s true that it’s the middle of stories that count the most, but we also love knowing about how stories started and set the stage for the beauty to come. Here, local couple Holly (Reynolds) and Tyler McLemore share the story of how their love began, as well as the wisdom they have learned […]
4 years ago