A word from PerGen co-founder Amanda Cleary Eastep:
When Michelle asked me to help her review the responses to our invitation to Perennial Gen readers to share potential themes for 2020, she warned me, “you may cry.”
I read through the emails. Each one offered wonderful ideas for topics the respondents believed would be helpful to discuss in our Perennial Gen community. But some respondents shared why they felt certain topics were important…and they openly shared with us their personal experiences and trials.
One minute you’re sifting through emails to follow through on a book giveaway, and the next you’re getting a small but deep look into another human being’s puncture wound. It’s humbling, really. I mean, what an honor that someone opens their heart because they feel we’ve provided a safe community in which to do that.
First, thank you to everyone who reads, writes, likes, shares, and comments on our Perennial Gen blog and social media posts.
Thank you for encouraging us and letting us know what this space means to you…how it has helped you in your midlife journey.
Thank you for your prayers for our work here.
And THANK YOU for sharing your wonderful ideas for monthly themes for 2020!
As promised in our initial Talk to Us post, we’ve drawn names from all those who offered ideas for next year’s monthly themes. Our two winners were chosen in a random drawing to receive Empty Nest, Full Life by Jill Savage and An Uncommon Guide to Retirement by Jeff Haanen.
A P.S. from PerGen co-founder Michelle Van Loon:
Some who study digital trends have proclaimed that blogging is so 2009. But they don’t know our writers or our audience. It’s been a joy to create space for Perennial Gen women and men to share their insight and experience. When we first launched this blog nearly 3 years ago, Amanda and I created a mission statement:
We’ve created this space online:
- to amplify the wise, curious voices of thoughtful Christian writers in their second adulthood
- to cultivate frank conversation about the transitions we’re experiencing as we age. These transitions touch every aspect of our lives including faith, culture, church, relationships, our bodies, and vocation.
- to inspire intergenerational relationships
- to nurture fresh purpose, ancient wisdom, and an extra jolt of courage for those at midlife and beyond
- to encourage honesty, kindness, compassion, and humor
As I read through your remarkable emails suggesting themes and topics for 2020, I realized that these things are happening on our blog. The kinds of ideas you shared – and some of the personal messages and stories you included in those emails – reminded me afresh that this online space brings encouragement and connection to our readers and writers.
We’ll be announcing our 2020 theme list in the coming weeks. Veteran writers, we’ll be looking forward to reviewing your posts. New writers, we’re looking forward to hearing from you. We need many voices in this space! (We’re still open to receiving your posts for the remainder of 2019: October’s theme is caregiving, November’s is spiritual growth and faith transitions, and in December, we’ll be looking at extended family relationships.)
And to our beloved readers – thank you for reading and sharing PerGen posts. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Cover photo by Richard Loader on Unsplash
