Can you recall your worst day ever? My wife, Jordan, and I heard recently a story about a family who celebrates them. More on that in a bit.

I’ve had a few “worst days” in my now 37 years on this Earth as of May 19, and for the last few years, they seem to be concentrated in May.

In my line of work, there’s never much downtime, and if there is, it doesn’t last long. May is one of the busiest months for the paper. This year, I attended six graduations and put out special sections for Mother’s Day, Shell Knob, Barry County Seniors, Memorial Day and a Monett Monthly. That’s all on top of regular Cassville Democrat coverage and publications.

I’m not complaining; it’s just taxing. Yet, that all happens every year, and I am mostly prepared for it. Though I will admit, this year was so draining I didn’t write a column last week for the first time in five years. Work aside, the past three Mays have delivered their own unique challenges.

In 2023, Cassville was shrouded in a series of tragedies. The death of Mercy Cassville Dr. John Forsyth, the deaths of Rylan Wilson and Keaton Fare in a motorcycle accident, the death of Cassville’s postmaster, the stabbing death of Andey Hunter and a seven-inmate jail break all happened within 14 days of one another.

Last year, all seemed to be going just fine until May 26, when an overnight windstorm struck in the overnight hours leading up to my oldest daughter’s birthday party. While we were fortunate and thankful our house was spared among the downed trees in our neighborhood, one of ours included, the office was not so lucky. Our building was closed for nearly two months to repair a hole in the roof and replace flooring and ceiling tiles.

After those two Mays back-to-back, Jordan and I saw a pattern, and we’ve been legitimately anxious for what the 2025 iteration would bring.

As we close out and reflect on the month, there were a couple worst days. One was the day the engine in Jordan’s Kia gave out. We were set to pay that vehicle off in June after doubling payments following paying off my car. Now, we have a new car with the same double-payment amount. You can’t hear, but I’m groaning.

That, however, is minor compared to other occurrences this May. We lost a close family member — at just 22 — to demons he’d been working valiantly to overcome. The area community has also been hit again with the loss of two even younger lives, Ean Hueback and Brody Holt. Our hearts go out to those families and friends in their time of loss and grief, and we hope they can find peace in the good memories and not dwell in the end.

As June quickly approaches, I couldn’t be more ready to move on from May. We did enjoy some good times, like a birthday party with beautiful weather and a great evening at the Cassville Carnival, but I’m already leery of what next May will bring.

It has Jordan and me thinking we may have to adopt this “Worst Day” celebration tradition. It goes like this: the storyteller said on the same day when she was 7, her dad lost his job and the basement flooded, destroying most of their possessions. So, the dad and his wife sat their kids down and explained they were having a party. They hung streamers and the dad declared, “Today is the Worst Day,” as he cut into a lopsided cake they’d thrown together.

“If this is the worst, everything else will be better.”

The next year, the storyteller’s brother broke his arm and the family’s car died on the same day. Was it worse than the job loss and flood day? They agreed it was and the “Worst Day” date changed.

This pattern continued through the storyteller’s childhood into adulthood, when the mother’s cancer death became the “Worst Day.”

Years later, the storyteller’s child was born with a heart defect, and the tradition was reborn in a new family. Seven years after that, when the storyteller’s house burned down, that child, who had survived the heart condition and was aware of the tradition, asked if that was the new “Worst Day.”

The story culminates with the dad’s passing, and his note left directing his funeral to be a “Worst Day” celebration, complete with his favorite ice cream and no somber music.

Why celebrate all those “Worst Days?” Because, the storyteller said, it’s a reminder that even on bad days, you’ve made it through worse.

We are poised for a string of good days ahead. Jordan is soon embarking on a solo camping trip she’s been dreaming of taking, and I am taking my daughters to my aunt’s wedding. I’ll see my best friend who lives in Wisconsin for the first time in about two years. TroutFest is just around the corner, the pool is officially open and I have my own solo trip planned in July to attend the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors conference in South Dakota, likely with a fun sidequest I’ve yet to determine.

Bad days may come, but the worst is behind us. I hope you can all revel in the good ones to come.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a two-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.