We’re big on tradition here at Leader World Headquarters.
In the nearly 30 years we’ve been in business, we’ve developed a number of traditions, large and small.
One of our favorites is the array of photo contests we sponsor. We’ve asked readers to send in photos of their grandkids, their pets, their favorite car, their most memorable travel experience, their toughest home improvement challenge.
And our readers have responded … and responded some more. We’ve received thousands of photos over the years, and it’s gratifying to see many of the same names and faces pop up over and over.
One of our first Holiday Family Albums in the early 2000s included an entry by Gina Whitehead of Festus, showing off her tiny granddaughters.
This year’s photo shows those now grown-up girls and their younger siblings, cousins and even children.
Yep; we now have grand-contestants. We’re into our second generation of sharing family memories.
Will Solomon of Imperial has supplied us with a years-long string of poses of his only granddaughter, Ellie Solomon, as she grew from a toothless 7-year-old to a lovely young lady in high school.
The Moore family of Fenton sent photos every year as their toddlers somehow suddenly morphed into tall, good-looking teens.
The Hardins of De Soto have faithfully sent in pictures of their stair-step passel of grandkids, and this year were excited to show off their new great-grandbaby.
It’s been such a pleasure to watch these kids grow up.
It just emphasizes one of the best things about this job: The deep connection to our community the Leader has developed over the years.
I’m as misty-eyed over these kids as I am over photos of my own children and grandchildren.
We all look forward each year to seeing how they’ve grown, whether they’re married or in college or getting interesting jobs.
You know, reminiscing could be a sad thing, if we were to choose that path. We could look back on the pictures of those tiny cuties, now long gone, and mourn their disappearance.
Or we could choose to celebrate their lives, cherish the fact that they’re an integral part of our community, and rejoice that their families still want to share their memories with us all.
Let it be known that I choose that latter road.
My sincere thanks to all who have shared their photographs and their memories and their lives with us so we could share with the larger community. It has brought us all together and given us a sense of kinship.
May our whole Leader family, young and old, near and far, have a safe and happy Christmas.
