By Sheryl Lilly Pidgeon | Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Who doesn’t love a celebration? But make no mistake – a celebration is most rewarding after plenty of hard work and determination; and the tougher the task at hand, the sweeter the success. Now, as we toast to our 11th anniversary, the GLF team and I look back with a lot to celebrate. We have gone out on a limb in every aspect of our lives but, like Mark Twain famously said, “Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?” I can say with conviction that I have never been as committed (professionally speaking) to anything as I have on Good Life Family Magazine.
I have invested my heart, mind and resources into making GLF a PUBLICATION WITH A PURPOSE. We have grown, we have gained momentum, and we are making a difference.
In the new year, you will see some big changes that reflect that momentum. We are “re-launching” with a re-brand to GOOD LIFE 24-7 to include a broader take on the word family because we know that the role of parenting often includes aunts, uncles, friends, teachers, mentors, etc.
When we launched Good Life Family back in 2015, most of our core team was navigating life with middle schoolers. Now, those tweens and teens are in their 20s – some are married and planning families of their own. So, we are growing up too. With the re-brand to GOOD LIFE 24-7, we are expanding our voice to include anyone who shares our commitment to helping our kids find their wings and soar into the future.
Of course, we will still provide entertainment and travel resources for all ages, more of our money-saving hacks, work-life balance strategies, home and garden tips, health strategies, and so much more.
In addition, we are looking to incorporate your voice more. We want our readers to weigh in with their thoughts and tips for other families going through this journey together. We are working on a virtual Town Hall-style gathering of the minds. We also plan to help younger voices be heard. If your kids are budding writers, illustrators or photographers, please let them know we welcome their talent. We also plan to launch a global book club, a “Voices and Visions” section highlighting our readers’ ideas and inspiring messages, and a Points of View forum on new movie and TV releases.
To join us on our mission to educate, inspire and motivate positive change, reach out to Paige Jackson, our Marketing and Content Manager, at Paige@goodlife247.com.
As a publisher and founder of Good Life Family, I want to take a moment to toast my amazing team of professionals – editors, proofreaders, managers, writers and designers, four of whom were there from the beginning. Thank you for sharing my passion to make a difference in the lives of others by giving of your time and talent. I also want to thank our clients, our promotional partners and advertisers. Without you, we would not be able to do the important work we cherish.
As a mom, there is no greater celebration than the health and happiness of my adult children, Bryce, 27, who married his longtime love Daria (they started dating as freshmen in high school!), who we whole-heartedly welcomed into the flock when they married two years ago, Jaxie, 26 and Lindsey, 24. Each of them have “flown the nest” and are thriving in their own journeys. Although I traded valuable time with them to embark on the GLF journey (balancing family and work is a non-stop challenge for most of us, and a consistent topic in our pages), the upside of that trade is that my kids are witnessing first-hand the passion that goes into creating something worthy of celebration. In fact, they always found ways to pitch in to help or cheer me on. I am grateful for their support and sacrifice and for giving me the best job title in the universe: mom.
As a daughter, I am reminded that being part of the “Sandwich Generation” – those of us sandwiched between raising our kids and supporting our own aging parents – is both challenging and rewarding work and that each day needs to be celebrated.
Finally, no celebration is complete without amazing friends. We celebrate the peaks (boy, do we!), but more importantly, we are alongside each other in the valleys. Deep friendships are built brick by brick and fortified by the test of time.
As I’ve continued to grow as a person (much of that growth attributed to the wisdom of our experts for over a decade in Good Life Family!) and define my life in the “empty nest,” I have found countless opportunities to welcome new friends into my orbit. I have found that meeting a friend at this point in my life often feels like an instant connection, one that is easy, honest, transparent, soulful, like you’ve known this person forever – or wish you had – and I am going to cherish these relationships as they continue to grow and develop in the years to come.
Similarly, now that I have more work-life balance, I have found the time to reach out to and welcome back old friends, some from my early childhood, who had remained in my heart but life took us apart geographically. Spending time with these amazing friends is a true celebration of the term life-long.
I’ll toast to all that!
Wishing you and yours a new year filled to the brim with health, happiness, love, peace, and plenty of “Cheers!”
Sheryl
