Lives-shared

My time as a blogger has been  relatively short.  I started this blog 9 months ago. My daughter and my daughter-in-law had blogs, and I had read them sporadically.  I started my own blog with a very simple thought-I would write things about my life.

I imagined I would have a blog which would record daily happenings. More of  a daily journal. I have sporadically  kept a hand-written journal for several years. That has focused on sharing family stories and daily events with my two granddaughters. In fact, all entries in that journal are addressed to them.

So, this blog began as just a computerized version of that journal. I never anticipated that anyone else would read my blog. I didn’t tell anyone in my family that I was writing a blog, just as I would not expect my family to read my hand-written blog.

Then my sister died. My blog became more of a grief therapy outlet. I learned how to tag my entries, and found that there were people out there who shared many of the feelings I had with the death of a family member. People wrote to offer support and suggestions. There was a sharing of grief and hope that it is possible to survive hard times. The tone of my blog changed and I have found myself using the blog as a place to share feelings, opinions as well as daily life.

Then I started to comment on blogs which I found interesting. I would read several blogs regularly, and found that others would comment on my blog. A group of bloggers began to regularly exchange comments and information between their blogs.

When I started this blog, I had no idea that I would come to know people from all over the world-as well as several from nearby-whom I would feel were friends. The level of sharing that I have found amongst these blogging friends is more than I have found with friends I have known since childhood. Perhaps it is the medium-it may be easier to share life’s difficult times through writing than it would be to do so face to face.

I have been involved in thought-provoking conversations on subjects such as religion, race, bigotry, politics and sex. These conversations are respectful, intelligent and educational. I can’t remember the last time I have had similar conversations in face-to-face situations.  

I am amazed at the life experiences of those whom I feel I have come to know. The cynical side of me would point out that anyone could write things as personal stories which were actually fiction. As we know, some well-known authors have done so.

But I don’t think that is true. The life stories I have recently read ring true. Horribly true at times.  These are people who have lived their lives through difficulty, challenge, pain and loss and have emerged with strength and dignity. Sharing your lives in such moving ways has made me feel even closer to you, and even more in awe of you.

You know who you are. I say that in the sense that you are aware of yourself and your place in the world. You are heroes.

I’m so honored to have come to know you.  Thank you for being my friend.