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Sheryl Lilly Pidgeon | Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Goodlifefamilymag.com
Celebrating a Milestone
Who doesn’t enjoy a good celebration? However, it’s important to remember that a true celebration is most satisfying when it comes after hard work and dedication; the more challenging the endeavor, the more gratifying the achievement. As we raise our glasses to mark our 10th anniversary, the team at Good Life Family and I reflect on everything we have to be proud of. We’ve taken risks in every area of our lives, and as Mark Twain wisely noted, “Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?” I can say without a doubt that I’ve never invested as much effort (in a professional capacity) into anything as I have into Good Life Family and GoodLifeFamilyMag.com. I have poured my heart, mind, and resources into establishing GLF as a PUBLICATION WITH A PURPOSE. We’ve experienced growth, gained traction, and we are indeed making a difference.
Exciting Changes Ahead
In the upcoming year, you can expect some significant transformations at Good Life Family. We’re refining our logo and rebranding to encompass a broader interpretation of family because we recognize that parenting often includes a network of aunts, uncles, friends, and more. When we started Good Life Family in 2015, our core team was primarily navigating the experiences of raising middle schoolers. Now, those once-young tweens and teens are in their 20s—some are even married and preparing to start families of their own. Thus, we are evolving too. We will broaden our content to cater to younger parents, as well as babies and toddlers, and provide wisdom on grandparenting, while still offering entertainment and travel resources for all ages, along with more money-saving tips, work-life balance strategies, and much more.
Your Voice Matters
Additionally, we aim to include your perspectives more prominently. We want our readers to contribute their insights and advice for other families on this journey together. We are planning a virtual Town Hall-style forum for sharing ideas. Furthermore, we want to amplify younger voices; if your children have a knack for writing, illustrating, or photography, we’d love to hear from them. We are also set to launch a global book club and introduce a Points of View forum for discussing new movie releases.
To join us in our mission to educate, inspire, and encourage positive change, please contact Paige Jackson, our Marketing and Content Manager, at Paige.GLFmag@gmail.com.
A Toast to My Team
As the founder and publisher of Good Life Family, I want to take a moment to acknowledge my incredible team—editors, proofreaders, managers, writers, and designers, four of whom have been with me since the very beginning. I am grateful for your commitment to sharing my vision of making a significant impact in the lives of others through your time and talents. I must also extend my thanks to our clients, partners, and advertisers; without your support, we could not carry out the meaningful work that we treasure.
Joy in Family
As a mother, nothing brings me greater joy than the health and happiness of my adult children: Bryce, 26, who just married his high school sweetheart Daria (they started dating as freshmen!); Jaxie, 25; and Lindsey, 23. Each of them has taken flight and is flourishing on their own paths. Although I sacrificed precious time with them to pursue the GLF journey—which many of us know is a constant balancing act of family and work—my children have witnessed my passion for creating something worthy of celebration. They have always found ways to support me, either lending a hand or cheering me on, and I am thankful for their encouragement and for giving me the most rewarding job title ever: mom.
Reflections on Aging and Friendship
As a daughter, I am reminded of the realities of being part of the “Sandwich Generation”—the challenge of raising our children while also caring for our aging parents. This dual role is both demanding and fulfilling, and each day is an occasion for celebration.
Lastly, no celebration is complete without the joy of true friendship. We cheer for our accomplishments (and we do so joyously!), but even more importantly, we stand by each other during challenging times. Deep friendships grow gradually and are strengthened through shared experiences over the years.
As I continue to grow as an individual (with much of that growth stemming from the insights of our experts at Good Life Family over the past decade) and navigate the “empty nest” phase of life, I’ve encountered many opportunities to make new friends. Meeting someone at this stage often feels like an instant connection—one that is effortless, sincere, transparent, and soulful; it’s as if you’ve known them forever or wished you had. I treasure these relationships as they blossom and deepen.
With an improved work-life balance, I’ve also rediscovered time to reconnect with old friends from childhood, who have always remained in my heart despite the distance life has created. Gathering with these remarkable friends is a true celebration of what it means to have lifelong connections.
Cheers to That!
Wishing you and your loved ones a new year overflowing with health, happiness, love, peace, and plenty of reasons to celebrate!
-Sheryl
