10 Friday Reads

Great reads from Midstackers and a new workshop

If you’re anything like me, you may have blocked off the next few days with a big “TAYLOR SWIFT” on your calendar. (Long-time readers will know that my co-editor and I are huge Swifties.)

For the rest of you — and maybe even some Swifties who want a few breaks from the new album — I’m sharing a selection of posts from our Midstack community share thread last Friday. I encourage you to read more of these essays here in the comments, and to share and subscribe to these midlife writers’ Substacks.

****

Before I share the essays, I want to let you know about a new workshop that I’ll be leading starting Wednesday, October 8th, Teach What You Love.

It’s a two-week intensive for writers and creators who want to build, launch, and sell an online workshop — on Substack, on your own website or platform, or for another organization.

Learn more HERE.

The Essays

1. “I wrote about going to a Heart concert (which was amazing by the way, those ladies are still killing it in their 70s) and being slapped in the face with an existential crisis.” —

   Karen Mclaughlin

I Went to a Heart Concert - An Existential Crisis Followed

2. “I started a collaboration project with some caregiver friends. ‘Letters from a Caregiver’ Every Thursday, our Younger Selves Receive a Letter of Wisdom, Compassion, and Hope. This is the first - Intro and my letter.” —

   Victoria

'Letters from a Caregiver.'

3. “We usually hear the word ‘compounding’ tossed around within the financial world, where pennies become pounds and small, steady investments eventually grow into life-changing wealth. But compounding isn’t just about money, it’s a principle of life.” —

   Tracey Fenner

The Quiet Power of Compounding: Why Midlife Is the Perfect Time to Plant Again

4. “The last 8 weeks I was all in on The Summer I Turned Pretty and I became one of the millennial moms waking up at 4-5 am every Wednesday to watch new episodes. Last week I wrote about the series finale and how the show helped me process my own grief over the last 3 years.” —

   Elizabeth Heydary

Thank You Jenny Han

5. “Channeling anger and rage to make change with love…” —

   Nan Tepper

I'm in the Mood for Love

6. “I shared a personal essay about my transition into menopause….I’ve been wanting to write something like this for two years, and it was finally time.” —

   Vanessa Novissimo Wright

Are You There, Menopause? It's Me, Vanessa.

7. “I wrote about what can happen when we get too comfortable with being uncomfortable.” —

   bridget c.

How to not disappear completely

8. “Has anyone else been in a deep dive season of letting go in midlife?🍂 This is what I wrote/spoke about leading up to the fall equinox.” —

   Brenda Carey

Equinox's Invitation to You

9. “I wrote about losing my job and my son turning 18 this month.” —

   Jenny Hobson

Late blooming dahlias

10. “I explore a recent cross-cultural study (Gao et al., 2025) that compared menopause experiences among Mosuo, Yi, and Han Chinese women—three groups living in the same physical environment, but with vastly different social structures.” —

    Dr. Heidi

Pink Zone Pillar #1: Cultural Self-Worth.

💬 What else have you read from midlife women that you loved? Share in the comments.