These wheels

            One year ago Sunday, I took the plunge.  On May 24, 2007 I had never read a blog.  By May 26, I was writing my second post and actively reading other people’s.

            It all started with an email.  Hurtful, personal, perhaps even cruel, the email made me look for an outlet, a place to work through my pain and feelings of rejection.  And so it snowballed.  First, only people who know me read.  It did not take long till I found a community of people around the world, strangers who quickly became familiar with my most intimate secrets.

            For awhile, my blog was growing.  More people were reading, and it was an ego boost to look at those blog stats.  But, lately, as I have had less time to read blogs daily, the numbers have dwindled.  I do not blame people; we are involved in an exchange here, and for awhile I was unable to keep up my end.  But it makes me all the more grateful to those of you who stuck it out through my rough patch.

            I will likely never be a big-time blogger.  That’s not why I do it.  I want to record my children’s lives for them.  As a writer, I want to hone my voice.  And, as a person, blogging keeps me honest. 

            And that is the truth of it.  With people there reading, commenting, I can hold myself accountable.  And that has forced me to be a better mother and wife, but it has also given me a place to forgive myself for my failings.

            A year ago, I did not self-define as a writer.  I was good at writing, I had worked as a speech writer, but I squirmed whenever anyone asked me what I do.  Today, I have a manuscript, an agent, and confidence.  More importantly, I am happier with who I am and where I am going.

            I don’t use my kids’ real names.  I don’t post pictures.  I keep out some sensitive stories.  But, I can say without a doubt that my children are happier because I have this space.  They benefit from the community of strangers, friends, and people with the same last name I have found here.

            So, happy blogiversary to me.  To us.  To those of you who have been here since last May and those of you who have hopped on the bus along the way.  Today, today, please leave a comment or send an email so I know who you are, even if you don’t usually do so, even if you think I know.  I want to know personally who to thank for the miles I have come over the last year.

            This bus ride is just getting started, and I could not ask for better companions.