Just over three months ago, something wonderful happened to me. I was adopted into a very large family, though no official papers were signed at the time. I’m thirty-three years old and I’m blessed with a real family of my own, yet I seem to have found myself with a network of relatives in cities and countries I may or may never visit, living lives that I’ll never fully know and eating, sleeping and writing at very different times to me. Let me explain.
Just over three months ago, I started a blog on positivity; my philosophy and my religion. I was really looking for an outlet through which to channel my two passions; self-improvement and writing. Like a parent with two equally lovable children, I couldn’t possibly choose a favourite, so I decided this would be the perfect way to unite the two. I do believe that ink has been running through my veins for a while now. It started at around the age of nine, when I wrote secret diaries and fairy stories. This was always snuggled in bed and under the light of a torch, which gave a secret thrill to my pursuit. Quite a few years later my subject changed from that of the fairy variety and I self-published a couple of works. Though this was immensely rewarding, I was still left with so many words flapping through my mind and I had the necessity to set them free. For this reason, I started my blogging adventure.
I have never been particularly adventurous, unless moving to a couple of foreign countries counts. I did it alone, if that adds merit! That said, I hate camping. I don’t like extreme sports either. I’m much more of a domestic cat, with the need for a clean bathroom and a comfortable bed. So I hadn’t really considered that starting a blog would be the adventure it has become. I may have felt slightly intimidated otherwise; with the feeling a vertigo you get looking over the edge of a cliff. However, I’m starting to wonder if I may enjoy adventure after all. This is why…
One day I wrote a post. I didn’t really expect anything to happen. The next day I found ‘likes’. Barely had I recovered from this delightful surprise, when I found I had my first follower. My pride was swelling and my smile was beaming. Somebody in the universe cared about what I had to say! Not only did they care, but they even liked the way in which I expressed myself. Don’t get my wrong, for I’m not an orphan in desperate need of love, but that was a real boost to my confidence! What ensued was really rather wonderful, with posts spawning ‘likes’, ‘shares’, comments and followers. I was touching the lives of others with my words AND I was being touched by these very same lives. This is the real beauty of the blogging community. It unites like-minded people who would have never had the chance to meet in ‘reality’. Through connecting in this virtual world, we can share each other’s hopes, dreams, experiences and stories in a way that would have once been unimaginable. We are enriched by unknown ‘relatives’ offering unconditional support and encouragement. We are runners on a marathon and each of us have our own style. While we share the same destination, our way of arriving there is very different. Yet taking part in such a race makes us feel like we belong. It is the love and support of the other racers that helps us get through and ultimately our personal time doesn’t really matter. It’s the experience gained along the way.
Shiny Happy Me 