As I look back over the past year, one thing is clear: this was not a random season. It was a patterned one. Word by word. Lesson by lesson. Stretch by stretch. Last year, my writing followed a thread—a collection of P-words that quietly shaped how we showed up, stayed grounded, and kept moving forward even when the road wasn’t clear. Let’s pause long enough to honor them. A Year Rooted in the P’s Persistence reminded us not to quit when progress felt slow. Perseverance ta

Every year around this time, something quiet but powerful happens. The morning air feels a little different. The days shorten. Lights begin appearing on porches and in windows. Grocery store lines get longer, and people carry both excitement and exhaustion in their eyes. And somewhere in the middle of all this seasonal movement, we find ourselves slowing down—almost without intending to. It might happen while driving past a familiar street decorated for the holidays. It might

By Valerie E. Patton As we enter the holiday season, the word peace is everywhere — on cards, storefronts, and church marquees. Yet for many of us in St. Louis, peace feels like something we talk about more than we experience. Between community violence, rising costs, and the strain of daily life, too many of us are living in pieces. Pieces of joy overshadowed by worry. Pieces of hope buried under headlines. Pieces of faith stretched thin by fatigue. But peace isn’t just a