As a wife, mother of two, and full-time caregiver for her parents, Angela Creed might seem to have barely enough time to maintain her own rigorous schedule. Yet, according to her Columbia neighbor Mary Beth Kirkpatrick, Creed makes time to give more of herself to neighbors, community organizations, local schools, and most importantly, those in need. “Angela is known throughout the community as someone who is quick to send a care package and handwritten note of encouragement to neighbors or friends who are sick, going through some sort of difficulty or just celebrating some special event,” Kirkpatrick said in her letter nominating Creed for the Suburban Journals Celebrate Your Neighbor Award. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Blog/Sample Work
In Death We Find Life
It’s a tragedy to see someone you love in pain, whether it’s emotional or physical. It’s even more of a tragedy to see someone you love lose a battle to death. This weekend, I lost a friend suddenly. He was someone who was genuine, in touch with other’s souls, but someone who never found his own soul. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Parenting Hurts So Good
I always underestimated the challenges of parenting. I thought that the moans and groans of parents were highly exaggerated. The baby sleeps, eats, poops – end of story, right? Wrong. The baby grows up, gains independence and strength, and ultimately begins to talk, socialize, and test boundaries. Parenting is hard and even more so, parenting hurts. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Celebrating Neighbors: Scout Leader Extraordinaire
Although Steve Loos leads the Cub Scout oath each week with “On my honor, I will do my best,” he’s rarely one to ask for an honor. Loos, Cub Master for Pack 91 in Troy, has earned the recognition for his years of service to both the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, according to fellow den leader Ernie Cristobal. He is the heart and pulse that keeps Pack 91 going,” Cristobal said in his letter nominating Loos for the Suburban Journals Celebrate Your Neighbor Award.
Celebrating Neighbors: A Believer in Involvement
Richard “R.J.” and Russell Krause know the meaning of victory. They’ve coached teams to victory on the court and watched victory from the sidelines at local sporting events. But according to the brothers, the real victory is in the smiles of the thousands of children in the East St. Louis and Washington Park communities that they have mentored for more than 40 years. “Richard and Russell have continued to help the young people that need it the most,” Lynn Miller said in her letter nominating the East St. Louis natives for the Suburban Journals Celebrate Your Neighbor Award. “Almost 100 percent of their kids are considered to be at risk for their well being.”
If You Love Someone, Let Them Go
I’ve always heard that if you love someone you should let them go. Personally, I struggle with letting go. As much as I know that change is a powerful, necessary force in life, I still resist it, fight it, and dread it. As much as I’ve been dreading today, I never realized how much it would hurt to let go of my baby sister. Although Molly has been a jet setter from day one, she always seemed to be within reach. We rarely saw her when she lived nearby, but she was there when it mattered and we knew that she was within reach. When she moved as far as Hawaii, she was still within the country. Today, she boarded a plane for Germany. As far as I want to reach out my hand, she’s just too far away to take it now. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
From Blue Collar Life to Police Brass
Tom Coppotelli describes his childhood in Washington Park as something straight out of "Leave it to Beaver," complete with days playing ball on dusty baseball diamonds, roaming the streets with friends and hurrying home for dinner with his dad who worked on the railroad. Back then, it seemed he was destined to follow in his father's footsteps into a blue collar life. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
My Dog is a Tween
We all go through defiant phases in our lives – the terrible twos, the child/adolescent tween years, the roll-your-eyes-at-everything teen stage, and then adulthood, the stage with more categories I can name in one blog post. This week, I’ve realized that dogs go through many of these same phases and I’ve determined that my dog is officially a tween. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Celebrating Neighbors: A Caring Group of Fire Fighters
They volunteer to risk their lives to save others. They spring out of bed in the middle of the night to fight fires. They host fundraisers and assist the neighboring areas of Columbia. The selfless acts of the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department are what prompted Gloria Jahr to nominate the entire team of fire fighters for the Suburban Journals Celebrate Your Neighbor Award. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
I’m Late, I’m Late, For a Very Important Date
A few years back, I was reading through an interpersonal communications textbook and was shocked to learn that many psychologists claim that people who are chronically late are purposely late to gain attention. It was classified as a “diva” trait, to say the least. While I’m sure there is some “scientific study” that supports this theory, I don’t buy it. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 