My employees and I have worked together for a long time — some for as many as 15 years.
In the beginning, we shared stories about the challenges of raising children. We went on to celebrate their graduations and weddings, and have begun to rejoice, as some of us have become grandparents.
Most of us were in our 30s and 40s when we started working together and already had children, from second-graders to high school teenagers.
But, we never had a co-worker who became a parent while working for the newspaper.
Until now.
I’m proud to report that Matt Mistretta, our art director of 10 years, and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their new daughter on March 4. Luna Elselene has the distinction of being the first Laker/Lutz News baby.
Now four months old, Luna is cuter than ever. And, according to her parents, she is a perfect baby who is always happy and a delight to be around.
Please join me in welcoming Luna to our work community, and sending congratulations to her parents, Matt and Ashley.
Since we’re on the topic of babies, I’d like to share with you that I now have a second grandchild. Zachary Joseph was born June 28 in Louisville, Kentucky, to my son Andy Mathes and his wife, Erin.
Zachary joins his big brother Connor, who is now nearly 2 years old. Connor loves his dog Patch, dreams about bulldozers and garbage trucks, and says “grandma” with great clarity. He’s also learning to love his weeks-old brother, and not to squeeze him in a headlock, as he does Patch.
So, I guess you could say that babies are my biggest sphere of influence these days.
And that is a good thing, because babies keep you centered and remind you that the purpose of life is not our professional accomplishments, but what we do for those we love.
For most of us, those we love the greatest are members of our family — people we’re linked to through heredity and marriage, and those we include as family because of our close, trusting relationships.
The love Matt and Ashley have for Luna, and the love I have for my children and grandchildren, far surpass everything else we care about.
(Diane Kortus)
That doesn’t diminish the pride I have as owner of The Laker/Lutz News, and the positive impact this newspaper has on our readers and advertisers. Or the satisfaction I get from running a business that helps support 12 employees and their families.
I never worry that The Laker/Lutz News will not publish on time every week with relevant stories for our readers. I know our printer will get our paper back to us every Tuesday morning, so our carriers can deliver the paper to your home or pick-up location by end-of-day Wednesday.
Luna’s father, Matt, is instrumental in this process. Every week he is presented with stories and photos that he puts together in an inviting design, working around our advertisements.
Matt and I are both good at our jobs because we care about the papers, our colleagues and our readers. We work, as do all of our employees, to give you a community newspaper that you welcome into your home every week.
But, at the end of the day, Luna, Connor and Zachary are what matter most. And, I’m sure it’s the same in your family. It is a joy to wake up everyday knowing that the love we share with our family gives meaning to everything else we do.
Published July 12, 2017
