Hey, Lovelies,
It’s my blogiversary this weekend! Technically yesterday – November 3rd – it was nine whole years since my first blog post ever. About which I said nothing to anyone. I barely knew what a blog was, but I was inspired by my sister blogging about her experiences in Europe, and had also read some blog posts by another friend who wrote about random things, very briefly, and made blogging seem so… feasible.
Man, things were really different back then. Sean’s and my marriage was only four years old, and my teaching career barely older. I had one wee babe. We had a little house on the opposite side of town (and had barely even thought about school catchment areas). Emi and our friend K still lived with us. My whole world was my baby and family at that point. And it was such a joy to spend basically all of my time and brain power on one tiny, squishy-cheeked human that I loved unimaginably – who also happened to be a pretty easy customer.
I remember how much I wanted to get parenting right (LOL!), and how everything my son did was special and amazing. I also remember that my first several blog posts were written sitting in the glider in E’s room, just being near him as he slept.
I had no inkling, while writing those first blog posts, that this blog would still be alive nine years later – because of you. If you hadn’t been reading, imparting legitimacy to my words, it would have been hard to justify this therapeutic but self-indulgent hobby all this time. Thank goodness you were there. I could not have predicted that blogging, through your compassionate readership, would become a lifeline of solace when Sebastian died. Nor did I imagine that I would one day write a post that would be viewed over 50,000 times in a week, or that I would have readers who would insist to me that my blog was important – to folks other than me.
These days, I sometimes wrestle with myself about what to write. Not for a lack of ideas, but for a lack of clarity. Part of me feels that I should go back to my origins of writing whatever I feel like, whenever, even if it’s insignificant and random… Because that’s how this all started – as an excuse to write stuff. “Just write… and see what happens.” The other part of me feels like I should only write when I have something truly meaningful to say, and time to polish it properly, out of respect for you. I mean, what right have I to assume that you want to read my arbitrary woolgathering? There are already plenty of bloggers – and commenters, and tweeters, and Facebookers, etc. – out there who blather.
The truth is that this blog’s steady readership of lovelies is not large. It’s not like I’m proclaiming to the masses. I would love to know what you feel is worth reading in an age of overwhelming internet noise. So if you’re reading right now, please feel free to weigh in about… well, anything you want. (Requests?… Pet peeves?… Guest posts??) I am very, very grateful to you for reading, and it seems only fair that you should have some input. If you want it. I’ll accommodate it as best I can (in my inconsistent fashion).
Anyway. Thank you, as always, for being here. Thanks for reading, and nudging, and commenting, and sharing, and being part of this li’l community with me. I will always be grateful for you. [Insert whole rainbow of heart emojis.]
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Dilovely, I love reading your random “woolgathering.” It reminds me of the letters we would write back and forth when we were kids, just writing whatever came to mind in any stolen seconds we had. My vote is to write whatever, whenever! Even if no one else does, I’ll read it.
Well, when you put it THAT way… I feel way better about my sillier posts! Our letter-writing was quotidian and yet epic, in its way… and so fun and sustaining. Thank you for this. <3
Di, what starts out as random/woolgathering/blathering passes through the discriminating mill of your mind and comes out well-written, thought-provoking, and significant. Carry on!
Aw, shucks… Thank you! Okay!
I wholeheartedly agree with the comments above. 🙂 I am not a writer and so I really appreciate that you are, and that you’re making time for it. I love reading what you write, I think partly because of the authenticity in how you write (I am so grateful for how bravely you shared and continue to share about Sebastian’s death and your grief), and it has helped me to feel connected to you even though we don’t see each other very often. So I say write about whatever you’re inspired to write about whenever you can!! <3
Thank you, Rachel! It helps me to feel connected to you and other readers I don’t see often enough, too. Thank you for reading. xoxoxox