In mid-December I wrote a piece about learning to dance in the rain. Elizabeth Flora Ross, one of my readers, who is also in a virtual writing group with me, read the piece and then contacted me about her award. On her blog, The Writer Revived, she awards Ross’ Rad Reads to bloggers she enjoys to read.
Elizabeth contacted me with the news at a time when I was working through my feelings of frustration with my lack of writing time. I wrote a post about finding the unexpected benefits from setbacks as a result. It was Elizabeth’s encouraging email to me about being featured that lifted my spirits. Yes, I took a step back in my blogging progress because of school, but it would not be the difficult climb back that I anticipated. Elizabeth helped me to feel hopeful about writing again.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for Elizabeth as a writer so it is a great honor that she would recognize me on her blog today. As part of receiving this award she asked that I include some information on what I like about blogging, what I want to accomplish, and who I like to read.
There are so many benefits to blogging, but one that is most important has nothing to do with traffic, readership, or recognition: I enjoy writing for me. Discovering more about myself through the writing process has been a pleasant surprise. I am very focused on what I want to accomplish with this site, which is to freelance write for others and write a book. There have been many things I have accomplished in the eight months I have been blogging that I did not even imagine as a goal for myself. The entire experience has been a positive one.
There are so many wonderful blogs that I personally read and it is so difficult to narrow down my list. Here are three I enjoy and have become friends with the writers through the blogging experience:
Grace at Looks Great Naked has a similar post-divorce rebirth story and we have connected through blogging. This has been such a gift for me as she is a really wonderful person. Grace has the ability to be poignant and funny all at once.
Alex from Late Enough makes me laugh each day I read her blog. It is well-written, insightful, and funny. You can’t ask for more.
Maria from 1000 Reasons I am a Crap Mom is another blogger who makes me laugh, but I also feel great about my parenting abilities after reading her posts. Maria is blogging 1000 reasons she is not a good mother. As of this writing she is only on Reason #134, so there is time to catch up and follow along on her parenting adventure.
If you are new to my site, welcome. And thank you Elizabeth for this recognition!
Giving out blog love is always a great thing.
Congratulations on the well deserved recognition. As a late arriving fan of your blog, I’ve spent time recently on a crash course through your archive posts. It has been a wonderful way to learn about, and learn from, a truly insightful writer. You’re doing great things here and I wish you the best of luck in reaching your writing goals.
Rodney~
You are wonderful. (: Thank you for being so positive about my writing endeavors. It is nice to have someone so supportive in my life, so thanks.
Congrats in the award – much deserved. We all get immediate feedback from comments, which is always great, but it’s nice when someone goes out of their way to specifically say they appreciate what we’re doing in this crazy online world.
SD
Thanks Simple Dude. I am assuming from “much deserved” that you voted for me in the 2011 Boomerang Awards then??? I voted for you, but no pressure.
Congrats on the Recognition, I shall be playing catch up for a little while yet and I’m looking forward to it. I wish I could have the focus on what I want to achieve with my blog but at the moment I’m a little random, which is not always a bad thing I guess. Anyway congrats again!
Simon,
Enjoy just writing and then maybe a focus will come. If not, your readers will enjoy random bits from Simon and that would be a great experience too!
Thanks for reading.
Kelly (or-Wonder Woman to you!)
Thank you for the kind words! I’m happy to recognize your awesomeness! And even happier to learn how much blogging has helped you connect with the passion we share – writing! Keep it up! You’re doing great things!
Thank you again Elizabeth! This award meant a lot to me, not just for the recognition, but the timing was perfect. I needed this boost.
thank you so much for the shout-out! i’m glad that she gave you this award. it’s so amazing how just when we’re ready to give up, someone can help us turn it around often without even knowing it.
Thanks Alex! I think you are probably the blogger I write about the most. Probably because you roped me into that horrible TV Challenge, but also because you are a great writer and blogger. That too.
How nice to have another blogger recognize you. Sometimes we forget how meaningful those connections we’ve made really are. At the end of the day, these blogs are about expressing ourselves more than anything. Lots of readers and comments are great but just doing it for that misses the point.
Jen~ Connecting with readers and other bloggers has been a happy surprise for me. I have laughed more, grown as a writer, been touched deeply, and more. It was a wonderful gift last year and I look forward to connections with even more in the coming year.
Congrats! That has to make you proud as hell!
I can offer my own disgraceful parenting skills in today’s post concerning my daughter’s implied threat to force-feed me spaghetti in my old age, and she made the threat 28 years ago at the age of two… still scares the hell out of me when I think about it.
Thank you! I am honoured! And I’m all the more honoured for being mentioned in the same breath as L8Enough’s Alex, who is one of my blogging heroes. *proud*
You deserve to be on my favorite blogger list; you are the best! I am so happy to read your great life will be even better soon. Congratulations on your engagement!
Congrats! I totally understand about not having enough writing time due to school. There are so many things that I’ve wanted to do/write about but haven’t been able to because I’ve been trying to keep my head above water in school.
I hope school is going well for you. Thanks for continuing to read even though you are so busy. You are a very faithful reader!
Aaaaaah, I’m late in thanking you because I had a deadline breathing down my neck. I, too, have gone back to school — for a MFA in Creative Nonfiction that likes to kick my fanny every few weeks. So thank you very, very much.
And congratulations! You deserve it, my dear!
Grace~ I am so happy to hear about your pursuit of a Creative Nonfiction degree. That is wonderful and I know you are doing well; you are already a great writer!