The blogs that never were.

I suffer from blog guilt.  I look at my statistics and see that faithful readers have come to my site and have been turned away without fresh stories.   Not very many faithful readers mind you but some.    It isn’t that I wasn’t thinking about blogging.   It’s just that this week they all hit the trash can.   Here are the top five blog stories that aren’t going to happen this week.

#5:    Yes I really can cook.     My husband’s birthday was on Monday.   I successfully made an incredible green bean casserole.   I stole the recipe from a friend.   It involves cheese, butter, sour cream, more cheese and bacon.   I didn’t burn it.  People had seconds.   Really that’s all I had to say about it.   Not long enough for a blog.

#4.  My husband is amazing.    There is a fine line between a nice sentimental blog about your spouse and a blog that makes people feel queasy from too much gush.    I was having a hard time with the fine line so I hit delete.   He is amazing though.

#3.  I’m a crazy parent.   My kindergartener was assigned to the orange reading group.   I don’t know what this means.   Does orange mean she’s in the second highest group because orange is the second color in the rainbow?   Does orange mean she’s in the highest reading group because orange is so bright?   Does orange mean that she is in the lowest reading group because orange reminds me of clowns which she can be when she’s supposed to be paying attention?    I actually voiced some of these questions to my sister who happens to teach kindergarten.  She took a deep breath so she could avoid punching me and then told me I was one of the crazy parents and I needed to reevaluate.   Who wants to read a whole blog about that?

#2.   Its raining.  I like rain.   I already blogged about this last year.    Rain, Rain.      I need someone to tell me if people like to see old blogs reposted.    Or should I come up with something new to say?   I’m in a quagmire.

#1.  National Novel Writing Month  I have two friends who are writers by trade.  One is a newspaper columnist.  One is a novelist.   I think they are both incredible.   I briefly contemplated participating in this year’s National Novel Writing Month.  It’s in November.  You’re supposed to write a 50,000 word novel in just one month.  Last year there were over 200,000 participants and 50,000 people actually completed a novel in a month.  I’m so curious.    That’s how far I got on the blog.   Probably not a good sign for a full novel.

Whew.   I feel better.   Like I confessed and the guilt is gone.   Read on my readers.

 

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Flip Side: On Writing

According to Wikipedia, there are currently 156 million different public blogs.    This number is daunting.   As one member of that 156 million I wonder what it would take to get noticed by more than my five loyal readers.   The fact that I used Wikipedia as a source is proof that I’m probably not willing to invest the kind of time in research that it would take to be noticed.

I asked a few of my regular readers why they thought I blogged.    These are the people who read my blog whether they want to or not.   They live with me or work with me or see me pretty frequently.   I think they might be worried that if they don’t read it I’ll ask them about it.   They are right.   Here are their off the top of their head responses:

My mother:   It’s fun.    (This is true.  It’s also a very supportive comment.)

My BFF:  Because you want people to know what is going on and you like to write.   (Very true, very supportive).

My sister:  She burst out laughing.   (I’m not sure what this means.  But the truth is that one of the reasons I blog is to make my sister laugh so I guess its working.   My favorite blogs are the ones where I watch her read them and she can’t breathe and tears are dripping down her face because she’s laughing so hard.)

My husband:  Because you need attention.   (ahhhh the ones who know us the best….)   To his credit, he was kidding.   I can tell when he’s joking because the corners of his eyelids crinkle and his eyes sparkle – it gives him away.  But just because he was joking does not mean it’s not true.

There are other reasons.    I blog because sometimes things I hear about in the world make me want to rant.    My poor family can only handle so many of my tirades against injustice.   Blogging forces me to rationally think through why I’m up in arms.  When I’ve managed to think it through, I feel better.   I can sleep.

It takes me about 45 mintues to do a single blog.    It’s like a mental workout.  I blog because sometimes life is hilarious.  I blog because sometimes life is painful.   I blog because it forces me to examine my attitudes.

I blog because sometimes God is so good that I want to shout out His praises.

I blog because my uncle blogs.   I’m trying my best to keep up.    Want to see why he blogs?  Check out www.doncanonge.com.

Little Notes, Big Impact

It’s my birthday.  I’m thirty five.   This is a very stable and confident sounding number.    It’s also halfway to seventy.   My maternal grandmother who is ninety one tells me that 70 is young.   I appreciate the encouragement.

I’ve always been the kind of person who thrives on atta girls.   I had a report card one time that actually said “needs too much encouragement.  Can’t work without outside approval”.    People say that those with a healthy self esteem don’t need others to prop them up.    While  I understand this theory, I actually think this is completely ridiculous.    Last night, running around the track in the dark I totally would have quit when I got a stomach ache had it not been for the amazing marathon runner beside me urging me on.   Encouragement keeps us moving foward.  It can keep us holding on when we don’t see a way through the dark.

Growing up, I loved the days at school where mom had put a note in my lunch box.  I got a note from her today.

I’m blessed today with facebook messages, texts, emails and I even got a fax.  This kind of encouragement just makes me smile.

I was missing my paternal grandmother today.  She died on New Years day, just nine months ago.  She never missed a single birthday my entire life.   She also never skipped sending thank you notes or congratulations cards.   I’m sure my love for the written note comes from Grandma.   This note sits above my desk.

When I’m frustrated with parenting or feel like I’ve blown it, I read this note and remember I come from good stuff.

I blogged last week about my teacher who gave me frowns all year.   This note showed up with a whole page of sticker smiley faces attached.

My daughter gave me one of my all time favorite encouragement notes.

It really does come down to that.   I love you.   That’s what people want to know.  Take a minute today, write a note.  Tell someone you love them.  Encourage them on.

My 91 year old grandmother has alzheimers.  She is doing well.  Still knows who we are.   Still tells us she loves us.   We’ve been writing her notes.     Someday she’s going to hear the the best words of encouragement ever spoken.  Word from her Creator.   “Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant”.

Be encouraged today.