Greenville
SPRING 2025
Life
PUBLISHER
Lisa Chappell
EDITORIAL CONTENT
David Claybourn Travis Hairgrove
Laurie White King Kent Miller Alice Reese
ADVERTISING
Camille Murphy Holly Day
DESIGN & COMPOSITION
Ashley Garey
COVER PHOTO
David Claybourn
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Spring is proof that life keeps moving and that new beginnings are always possible.
Springtime is about revival. About new chances. About beating the odds. Just like life.
But just like the arrival of a new season, countless neighbors among us have beaten some kind of obstacle – be it personal struggles, health concerns or traumatic experiences.
Facing – and overcoming – those struggles is why we chose a theme for this issue of Greenville Life – The Spirit To Survive.
Spring just makes you feel like things are going to actually turn around. After months of freezing weather, bare trees and everything looking kind of gray and lifeless, suddenly the sun starts showing up again.
The days get longer, the air gets warmer and little signs of life start popping up everywhere – flowers, green grass, birds chirping. It’ s a reminder that no matter how long the winter feels, it doesn’ t last forever.
Going through a hard time in life can feel a lot like that long winter. Whether it’ s stress at work, losing someone you care about, struggling with your mental health or just feeling stuck, those times feel cold and heavy. You might feel like you’ re going through the motions, or like you’ ve lost a part of yourself. It’ s easy to wonder if you’ ll ever feel normal – or happy – again.
But just like spring doesn’ t happen all at once, healing and getting through hard times is a slow process. You don’ t wake up one day and suddenly feel amazing. But you might notice little changes: maybe you laugh at something for the first time in a while or you sleep a little better or feel motivated to do something you’ ve been putting off. It’ s not dramatic, but it’ s real progress.
The thing about spring is, it doesn’ t need permission to show up. It just does. And the same goes for getting better. Even if you don’ t feel ready or don’ t believe things will ever change, that shift starts happening anyway.
You don’ t have to force it – just keep going. Keep showing up for yourself in small ways, even if it’ s just getting out of bed or talking to a friend. Over time,
FROM THE EDITOR
Kent Miller
those little steps add up.
Spring is proof that life keeps moving, and that new beginnings are always possible – even when things have felt frozen for a long time. So if you’ re stuck in your own“ winter” right now, be patient with yourself. Change might be slow but it’ s coming. And when it does, it’ s going to feel a lot like sunlight after months of gray skies: warm, overdue and exactly what you needed.
With that in mind, you’ ll see this issue includes features on four locals who have come through their winters and are reveling in their new springs. Perhaps you’ ll find a little encouragement from their stories.
From Laurie White King: Pastor Jimmy Vaughn shares a personal tragedy to teach about the consequences of impaired driving. At 11, he survived a crash that killed his mother and another man. Raised by relatives, he later found faith, entered ministry and now shares his story to inspire change and healing in others.
From Travis Hairgrove: Fourteen-year-old Ireland Covington survived a near-fatal bike accident in 2024, enduring multiple injuries and a long recovery. Despite chronic pain and neurofatigue, she now enjoys digital art, crochet and archery. Her personality has blossomed and she aspires to become a child life specialist, inspiring others with her resilience and optimism.
From David Claybourn: Army veteran Matthew Middleton copes with PTSD, anxiety and physical injuries through faith, music and his service dog, Matilda. A professional musician and radio graduate, he’ s opened for major acts and finds healing in songwriting. Now, he prefers singing in church, believing music is God’ s purpose for his life.
From Alice Reese: Suzanne David, a lively Louisiana native now living here in Texas, unknowingly had a life-threatening aortic aneurysm discovered after a routine surgery led to severe stomach pain. Emergency tests revealed the condition, prompting lifesaving heart surgery. Now recovered, Suzanne continues enjoying life at Club Lake with her husband, family and a vibrant spirit.
4 GREENVILLE LIFE