Aileen Goes On has had its best year since 2017! Thank you so much for reading! Here’s the year in review.
This year, you and other readers visited an Aileen Goes On post over 6,000 times, an average of 500 times monthly! I published 40 posts this year–about 3 a month. Some were updates from earlier posts; the blog has been active since 2008, so new readers may not have read some of the earlier posts. In fact, one of the older posts that resurfaced through some search somewhere and managed to earn the top spot for this year: Liturgical Baptists: It’s a thing, published back in 2019.
Here are the rest of the front runners.
Miss Pedagogy tries (and fails) to do the right thing
Teachers in the US are facing trials of all kinds. Here’s just one example from our friend Miss Pedagogy who made her first appearance in back in 2014 in this post which was one of the updated reruns this year.
Reflections on Violence in the US
The shooting at Uvalde, Texas in May 2022 shook me to my core. From shouts of “How Long O Lord,” to “Not Again!” to grieving with sighs too deep for words, my reaction to the horror of it led to this reflection. Let this year be the one we figure it out.
Teacher Appreciation: 5 Love Languages
Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages has been a life changer for me. This post applies those tools to blessing educators, but most of the tips cross over into all walks of life.
The Proposal: Baker and Addison
This one usually makes it to the top each year. It’s the story of when my son proposed to his long-term girlfriend, Addison Cook. May 2023 will mark their FIFTH wedding anniversary; a year from now they will have celebrated a dozen years together. Folks were ready to hear they had gotten engaged!
The Good Immigrant
Offering a modern retelling of an ancient parable, this post is set in a US city that might sound a little like your own. There’s no Levite or Pharisee in this telling, but a mega church pastor and a homeless ministry coordinator are just as busy as the church officials in the original tale.
Funeral Offers Kingdom Sighting
Deep grief met us head-on in 2022 when a family member died of covid. Profound sadness permeated the chapel during the service honoring one who died way too soon. By grace, the Kingdom of God made an appearance as well.
Remembering my Uncle James
Another lost this year: my father’s oldest brother James Mitchell. I did not write his obituary; I wrote this reflection instead. He was a hero, a softy, a beloved father, grandfather, husband, and uncle. Uncle James was the best!
Remembering the family station wagon
Faux wood paneling ran the length of its sides; the way-back had a backward facing seat and a door the width of the car that opened out not down. It was magic!
Brinson, Georgia: One Hot Heaven
Uncle James lived in Brinson and that family station wagon made many a trip to this tiny hideaway deep in South Georgia. It’s a lot like heaven–except for the heat. And mosquitoes. And gnats. But other than that? Heaven.
Thanks again for reading my writing, friends. “I love your blog!” is my favorite compliment! Happy New Year!
