OPINION
Even if my girls never venture into journalism, they are award-winning photojournalists.
That's because they were among the contributors whose work helped us win another sweepstakes award through the Texas Press Association.
Competitiveness runs in my family.
We want to do the best we can do, and we want to be high achievers with that effort.
I'm so grateful for my girls, our other contributors and our staff members who poured their hearts into their work to create a quality newspaper, not just in the weeks submitted but week in and week out.
This team that I have has put in long hours, traveled all over and sacrificed time with their family members to help inform our readers about what is happening, to cover stories that matter and to create a living history of our area.
Every bit of that process is special to me.
When I look at the plaque that has joined the other 10 state wins on the front wall of our office, I'm so proud to see the people reflected in that front page.
Those include the daughter of one of my friends who helped crown Pilot Point's homecoming king and queen, both of whom have graced our pages repeatedly and who I have loved watch grow up. It also includes the first Chaparette dance team, with one of my daughters' friends in the group along with many other faces I know and care about. It also shows the jumps to the page where my girls' work was on display and another to the page with brave women who were celebrated for being breast cancer fighters.
What we do can seem monotonous at times.
It can seem small. But this work matters, whether we win awards or not.
When we tell our communities' stories, we are keeping people abreast of the decisions that affect them and we are keeping them tied to one another in the midst of the chaos that seems to be a constant in this life.
Proud doesn't begin to cover the feeling I had when I told my girls they contributed to our family's first win as the owners of this newspaper.
This business is more than just a business to me.
It's a deep and personal investment in the communities we serve.
Thanks for being part of our story and letting us tell yours.
Abigail Allen is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal. She can be reached at aallen@postsignal. com.
