Have you noticed the plant growing taller in various ads in The Democrat in recent weeks?

Did you find the packet of sunflower seeds in your newspaper this morning?

It’s all part of our preview for our annual Profile edition, one of the largest projects our staff undertakes each year.

Our employees have been selling ads, writing stories, shooting photos and preparing in any number of ways for months as we get ready to publish this year’s edition.

In response to readers who were thrilled last year to have a new Profile section every day, we’ve decided to publish it the same way this year &045; one section a day for eight days.

We start next Sunday with a section devoted to education, where you will find stories about a Natchez artist who discovered later in life she was meant for teaching; a Frazier Primary music teacher &045; with a beautiful voice herself &045; who encourages beautiful sounds from her young students, who are captivated by her every move in the classroom; and an Adams County Christian School coach whose passion for history &045; and teaching &045; outweighs even what he does on the field or on the court.

The sections will continue throughout the week, each section focusing on a new subject every day.

Throughout Profile week you’ll get a hint of what’s to come with a front-page story on that day’s topic.

But what about those sunflower seeds?

This year, our theme is &8220;Watch Us Grow.&8221;

We realize that Natchez’s growth economically has been stunted in recent years, but we believe the community is growing in other ways, from its devotion to charities like the Heart Walk and Relay for Life &045; both of which have seen record donations in recent years &045; to our improving education systems to our continued spiritual growth.

We have seen growth in small businesses and in the healthcare industry. We have seen local retailers reach beyond Natchez to customers on the Internet.

And perhaps we are not just a little bit optimistic that Natchez is going to grow economically, too.

With state leaders focused on helping Southwest Mississippi and a growing partnership between the EDA and the city and county, there is only one way to go from here.

In a conversation last week with Natchez author Greg Iles, I was struck by his continued affection for his hometown.

Here’s a guy who could live just about anywhere, but who still holds fund-raisers for his high school, fits interviews in between coaching youth basketball and often includes his hometown as the setting for his novels &045; some of the best advertising we’ve had in recent years.

Greg’s latest book, &8220;Blood Memory,&8221; is set in Natchez, but it’s the Natchez of today &045; a community on the verge of growth or decline.

That is certainly reality &045; and it’s a reality we must face.

But Greg has enough optimism to set his next book &045; due next year &045; in his hometown, too, and he already plans to &8220;bring Natchez forward&8221; and make things better, economically.

We have so many ways to grow, we’ve just got to nurture the process.

Kerry Whipple

is editor of The Democrat. She can be reached at 601-445-3541 or by e-mail at kerry.whipple@ natchezdemocrat.com.