Millennials are a very interesting generation for a lot of

Hear now the words of Dana Perino, who gazed upon a generation and spoke with both affection and warning: “Millennials are a very interesting generation for a lot of reasons. They’re absolutely adorable, but they have some significant challenges. Their lives and their careers are delayed by about 10 years, partly because of the recession, also because of technology and also because of the way that they approach things.” In this saying lies both tenderness and truth. For she names the millennials as beloved children of their age, yet also burdened by weights not of their own choosing. They are as runners set upon the course, but forced to begin their race upon uneven ground.

The origin of these words rests in the upheavals of the early twenty-first century. The recession, like a storm, swept away the foundations of prosperity. Many who came of age in its shadow found doors closed that had been open for their fathers and mothers. Their hopes of homes, careers, and security were delayed, not because of weakness, but because the world itself staggered. And so their lives were pressed into a slower rhythm, their careers postponed, their milestones deferred. This is the hardship Perino marks with clarity: they are a generation tested by history itself.

But not the recession alone shaped them. The rise of technology altered the very soil in which they grew. It gave them wonders—connection across continents, knowledge at their fingertips, and tools of creativity once unimaginable. Yet these gifts carried hidden burdens. For constant screens dulled patience, endless choices bred uncertainty, and comparison stole contentment. Thus technology, both blessing and curse, became a reason why their path stretched longer before them, delaying the harvest of maturity.

And yet, Perino notes another cause: the way that millennials approach things. For they are a generation that does not rush blindly into the patterns of the past. They question, they delay, they seek meaning before achievement. Where older generations pursued stability first and reflection later, millennials often choose the reverse. This hesitation, though it lengthens their journey, is also a sign of courage—for they would rather live truly than swiftly, rather ask “why” than be trapped in “how.” In this too lies both their strength and their trial.

History itself offers parallels. After the Great Depression, the young of that era were forced into patience, their early years marked by scarcity. Yet out of their struggle arose resilience, a capacity for endurance that later built nations. Likewise, the millennials, though delayed, are tempered by fire. Their challenges may postpone their triumphs, but do not prevent them. Rather, like steel beaten long upon the anvil, their character may yet prove sharper and stronger than any who came before.

Thus the meaning of Perino’s words is not condemnation, but a call to understanding. She reminds us that the millennials are not to be scorned for their delays, but to be seen with compassion, for they wrestle with forces beyond their control. And she reminds the millennials themselves that though the race began late, the finish is still theirs to claim—if they endure with patience and rise with persistence.

The lesson, O children of tomorrow, is this: do not despair if your life does not follow the timetables of the past. A delayed beginning is not a denied destiny. Use the gifts of technology with wisdom, endure the scars of economic trial with courage, and shape your approach to life with integrity. For your value is not measured in how swiftly you reach the summit, but in the strength you build upon the climb.

Therefore, let your actions be thus: embrace patience, for delay does not mean defeat. Seek depth over haste, meaning over appearance, endurance over fleeting triumph. And remember Perino’s gentle wisdom: though your path may be longer, your story may also be richer. Walk it faithfully, and you shall prove that a generation tested by trial can become a generation crowned with resilience.