Reading: The 5 Most-Read Stories of the Last 5 Years

Five years ago today, we launched CoveyClub, a tribe of welcoming, accomplished girlfriends dedicated to navigating the challenges of midlife together.

It has been five years of extraordinary change. The world reinvented around us, and we had to reexamine the way we look at politics, race, and public health. And at the same time we reinvented ourselves, bringing fresh perspective to our careers, relationships, and mental well-being. 

Through it all, the Covey has stuck together. We’ve seen each other through the very beginnings of new business ideas, encouraged friends to make time for self-care, and held space during the hard stuff, like dealing with aging parents or coming to terms with life during a pandemic. 

We’ll spend some time this week looking back on the things that resonated most in the community these past five years. Here, the five most-read stories since CoveyClub started:

1. It’s 3 A.M. Why are You Waking Up?
   People who are awake in the middle of the night may feel very lonely, but in fact they have plenty of company: More than 10 percent of Americans — and more women than men — report suffering sleep maintenance insomnia, meaning the 3 a.m. wake-up call to check your to-do list and stress about retirement.

2. When a Good Daughter Hates Caring for Her Aging Mother
   “My first resolution is to stop complaining so much about my fucking mother,” I said to my significant other on New Year’s Day this year.
   
   She’s 92, and bravely facing her twilight, a widow just doing her best to get by in the familiar comfort of her home of 40 years. From my point of view, she’s self-absorbed and inexcusably dependent; has been her whole life.
   
   I’m obviously a hideous person. Who could say such things about her own mother?

3. 13 Millennial Acronyms You Need to Know
   A glossary of commonly used acronyms among our millennial friends, to help their parents (and adult colleagues) understand WTF is happening. Our advice: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. So take the phone away from your ear and start communicating like you were born yesterday.
   
   
4. 10 Pre-Divorce Moves Every Woman Should Make
   Elise Pettus, founder of UNtied, shares pre-divorce tips distilled from over 40 expert panels and surveys of divorced women so you can protect your future.
   
   
5. Are You Pregnant or in Menopause?
   Women are living longer and staying healthier, but pregnancy in women 50 and over is still rare. Here’s what it’s like to be pregnant in midlife.