One Year On

It hardly seems credible to me that I have been doing this for a year.

A whole year.

It is mysterious indeed that I have never been able to support a diary in a book with any regularity at all; a week maybe but no more, and yet, a journal that amounts to the same thing has gone on for a year and seems likely to go on to another… maybe more!!

My friends are fairly mystified as to the appeal of this blogging phenomenon. It has caused me to pause for thought as to why I do it. On the face of it, t is somewhat strange to reveal so much of one’s life to strangers and yet this has felt like a totally natural thing to do!

Over the course of the year I have been greatly encouraged by the support I have received as part of the blogging community, I have made friends, people I would never have ‘met’ otherwise and this has enriched my life greatly… I have explored Orthodoxy along with Ian, I have been prodded to sing more by Semele and I have laughed out loud at Yay’sTales. With honorable mentions of course to Smudgie and Jack… (yes, of course and Everyone Else!!!) It’s marvellous to be part of this community!! Really marvellous. I have learned so much, laughed as we have swapped faith stories, and family stories, and celebrated life… with all it’s perils and pitfalls and tragedy and comedy!! When it all comes down, that’s what friendship’s about isn’t it?

I guess the appeal for me about writing this journal goes beyond the community aspect. I simply write about me. My thoughts and feelings, my successes and failings. So while I have maintained the blog because of the community of the readership I really only write it for me.

That means what I write is simply for my benefit, and I derive a great deal of benefit from writing my thoughts down, it helps me solidify what I am feeling, sifting the good from the bad.

Some process life by drawing I guess, others by playing piano or mowing the lawn… Me? I process in text… So, while you hear a great deal about my life you don’t hear it all, the stuff that doesn’t get processed in public does in fact get processed in text… just in the old fashioned, hand written kind!!! And a lot less regularly!

However as this is feeling a bit garbled.. and not really very helpful at processing my thoughts about blogging (because it’s midnight here…)

What I really want to say is simply: Thanks.

For reading along, for praying, for meeting up, for playing WISE, for the laughs, the tears and for the community.
Because sometimes, even with our brilliant homes and families and church fellowships we need people who are outside of our usual sphere to make us open our eyes to a bigger world than the one we live in.

And better still to help us laugh at it.