Teresa Swope / News editor

Well folks, after a somewhat hectic hiatus, I am back.

Though my pregnancy did not last as long as a normal pregnancy – I’m actually coming back to work before my due date of August 22 – it sure seemed long.

Grace Nichole Swope, known as Gracie to her friends, entered this world July 19, a full five weeks before she was due. However, at 7 pounds, 2 ounces, I was more than happy for her to get here early. Both baby and mom are doing fine and her two older brothers are proud of their little sister.

It seems I couldn’t stay away from this office during my time off, and Monday I will officially be back at work helping deliver the news to you, our readers.

While I enjoyed my time off (well, at least the time I wasn’t in the hospital or in bed), I am ready to return to some sense of normalcy. I have missed the calls from readers with news tips or questions and comments about the paper. I have missed the emails with pictures of prize-winning bucks and first turkeys or children enjoying the enrichment activities of extended day or summer enrichment programs.

I can’t begin to describe the feeling of happiness and pride that I feel when I go to the schools to cover kindergarteners practicing a program to present to moms and dads or the tension and exhiliration that takes hold when the scanner crackles to life with some happening.

Even things that would seem mundane, like meetings or weekly programs, make me feel good because I know that our wonderful team of reporters is fulfilling a service to the public.

I’m also looking forward to being back because of the people I see and meet in my daily dealings – the business men and women I see every week at Kiwanis or Rotary, the teachers and staff at the schools and all the others I talk to as I cover events, gather information or just update the calendar and birthday lists.

Demopolis is great town and I feel privileged to be a part of the town and this paper.

I welcome and encourage your feedback as we work to improve and expand our daily dose of news and our service to you. Tell me what you think through email, phone, snail mail – good or bad, we want to know so we can provide the kind of paper you want to read.

Before I close, I want to thank all those who have wished me well during my pregnancy and the birth of my daughter. It means a lot to me and my family.

Theresa Swope is news editor of The Demopolis Times. She can be reached at 289-4017 or theresa.swope@demopolistimes.com.