Don’t get me wrong, I love the finer things in life and splurging on material items as much as the next person — try going to American Shoe one day and leaving no shoe loved behind. Take home all the pairs you want. Now that’s a good day.

This issue is full of elaborate collections, rich dessert and drink pairings, and other notable luxury lifestyle bits, and while those bring us instant gratification, do they bring us true joy? Happiness is buying the art, but joy is sharing the collection with others, leaving them inspired.

We take a lot of luxuries for granted if you stop to think about it, luxuries we’re afforded just by living in Jefferson City. How about the fact that we can get anywhere within 15 minutes (20 if you’re in rush hour traffic)? Some people spend over an hour in their car going to work 7 miles away. Not to mention the roads we drive on are clean, get repaired quickly, and when it snows, there’s no place I’d rather live given the promptness we see in our roads being cleared. We don’t have to worry about our water consumption; think about the residents of California next time you see a sprinkler system run onto the sidewalk. We have the luxury of spreading out. Need a home office? Many have found unused bedrooms to create productive spaces in. Want to live on some land where you can’t see your neighbors? That’s possible here. My favorite luxury of my hometown? The color in the sky that we witness nearly every day that concludes with a beautiful sunset each night. Try living in Asia for even a month and see how much a blue sky can improve your mood. Speaking of that, by simply living in America, we have the luxury and encouragement to be ourselves— support to find and live a life that we are passionate about. Want to start your own business? We can make it happen. Want to climb the ranks of a Fortune 500 company? Let’s do it. Want to work for a small, family owned business? You got it. We have a choice. That is a luxury.

The biggest luxury I find is the ability to give back. Learning new skills and making money is satisfying, but knowing that I helped make an impact with those resources brings me happiness. Sure, being asked to donate or volunteer can sometimes feel, well, taxing. But in the big picture, being able to give back is one of the biggest luxuries, wouldn’t you say?

Indulge with us in this issue, but don’t lose sight of the intangibles surrounding us that keep life luxurious outside of the store.

Missy Creed McFerron, Publisher(she/her/hers)