Why I Started Blogging and Haven't Stopped

I've been blogging for ten years.

One kid. 2005.

When I say that out loud, I think people expect me to be some kind of an expert.  I'm not.  But I love encouraging others to put themselves out there, because I know what a lifeline blogging has been to me.  It was my connection to the outside world.

Everyone has a story, and those stories have a way of connecting us.

Mine started in my first year of marriage.  I started blogging when my firstborn was a baby and I was seeking an outlet, and maybe even some validation, as a new stay-at-home mom.  It was a lonely existence.  My husband was finishing his senior year of college, as well as, supporting his brand new little family (not stressful and exhausting AT ALL).

Two kids. 2009.

I was enjoying my role as a mother but also struggling with feelings of unimportance.  None of my friends had started having babies yet, so I was navigating the waters of motherhood alone.  Some days I embraced it, but most days I was bored OUT OF MY MIND.

And I hated cleaning.  Loathed it.  Waited until the last possible minute to wash dishes or pick up the dirty laundry off of the floor.  Bless my husband and any other friends who witnessed that era of my existence.  I just had no experience.  No training.  Zero strategies.

Overall, I remember those first years of the mom season as me floundering.  Just splashing around like a kid who swears she can swim without arm floaties, but gagging on chlorine-flavored water and grasping for the pool wall, playing it cool.

I was trying. 

Three kids. 2012

And that's where I met you.  In all of that.  The mess and the neediness.  Life's uncertain and proud moments rolled all into one. Over time, I found other moms who could relate.  We were in this together. We became friends.  We watched our families stretch and grow! I found a community through blogging that seriously still exists today (you know who you are)!

For me, sharing my thoughts and experiences
helped me process and solidify lessons I was learning along the way.  I wasn't invisible anymore.

For you, maybe you also need to hear:

• That you are not alone.
• That it's okay to learn as you go.
• That motherhood is hard but worth it.

That's why I keep blogging. For me.  For you.  And for every comment or message that says, "Me too."

Why Do You Blog or Want to Start Blogging?  Share your story!