Tara’s Takes
Did you leave me a message last week that went unreturned? Maybe happen to send a text or email that was never answered? Don’t feel bad, it wasn’t personal and you weren’t alone.
No, I wasn’t checked out and brushing off friends, family or customers. I was just spinning — in the best way I could.
Last week was our first full week of owning four newspapers. We knew going into this there would be challenges. In addition to the everyday challenges of running a business, we had asked the staff at the three new locations to change their paper size to match ours, change their deadlines and publication date so all papers could be printed at our printer (another change for them) and make several other changes in font, layout and the overall way things are done.
We didn’t do this just because we wanted to be in charge. We had to make the size and publication date match to be able to print and deliver all at once. The fonts and other layout changes were to make the papers clearer and easier to read.
But they were changes. A lot of changes. Add in that Wednesdays for us now include four deadlines, not one. Newspapers are a stressful business and any change just ratchets up that stress level.
Last week I felt like I was on the go nonstop. Not just physically, but mentally, too. During the first week of publication there is so much to make sure we are handling — did the circulation all get completed, is there postage at all the post offices, does the printer have all they need for the new papers, are we taking care of everything for the Headlight and not only focusing on the other locations.
Wednesday was chaotic in the best sense. Our staff proved why we felt we could take on this challenge. They all stepped out of their comfort zones and worked together with all the changes, even when they wanted to cry or swear at me or pull their hair out. We had ups and downs, frustrations and triumphs. But at the end of everything, all four papers were printed and delivered, even the Ruthton ones despite me not delivering them correctly. I won’t make that mistake this week.
That was the thing — mistakes were made. We did things and afterwards said, “there has to be a better way.” This week we are already doing things differently and continuing to make improvements. Every week will get smoother. There will constantly be bumps in the road, there always is, but those hiccups won’t feel so overwhelming when we have other things toned out.
Again, our staff were rockstars, making this transition so much smoother.
But that’s only half my world. In addition to coowning a business, I’m a mom, a mom with three busy kids. Brady is in his last week of semester break. Ben is entering his last semester of high school and we are now on the countdown. I do one thing every week from now until June to get ready for graduation. This week, cap and gown. Thankfully, he and Brady are close to the same size and that gown that has hung in my closet since 2024 will be back in use this year. Add in all the other commitments he’s juggling — pep band, knowledge bowl, intramurals, BPA, work, etc. and you don’t see your senior much this last semester.
Natalie is also entering her final semester at Holy Redeemer. She’s busy planning activities for Catholic Schools Week, preparing for the start of competitions speech — which starts this Saturday and means wake-up calls way earlier than a school day — wrapping up her knowledge bowl season and everything else she has going on. If I’m lucky there may be one day she gets to come straight home after school. The toughest part, she’s 14 and doesn’t drive yet. Being involved is fantastic. Being the uber for your kids is not.
So as I enter 2026, I find myself struggling with finding a new routine, one that allows me to be where I need to be when I need to be there. One that lets me be the involved parent I want to be, the boss I need to be and the person my customers deserve me to be.
As I said before, each week will get easier and things will start to fall into routine. In the meantime, I’ll try to keep my eyes open as I look through emails at night or try to respond to the text messages on my phone.
There is part of me that feels like I did when I had each of my kids and had to find a new normal routine, one that worked for everyone. And that is probably true. Adding three papers is like adding triplets to our work family. Also, due to our dedication to making sure every community gets the local coverage they deserve, without neglecting our first child, it’s a new balancing act.
Right now, we’re in those early stages of sleep deprivation and wondering if I ate something other than coffee and chocolate today. And realizing if I don’t write things down, I will never remember.
Here’s to the growing years. The new routines. The parenting years of our three new “kids.”
