Two events in the last week have me rethinking my Defining Success blog post.
This past weekend, I had breakfast with one of my dear friends from high school (the fabulous woman in whose yard my garden grows). She was telling me how much she enjoys reading my blog and made reference to many of them. My heart was bursting with pride. But wait, there’s more! She then said that she told our high school speech coach (who now works with her) about my blog and that she loved it, too, particularly the post about me, the dumb boy, and the van because they knew the guy!
I had defined success of my blog as having people I don’t know reading it. Having these people who have known me for more than half my lifetime (OMG – How is that possible?!?!?!?) read and enjoy it definitely gives me inspiration to continue. I must be doing something right.
Bright Shiny Thing Alert
Thanks to Facebook, I was able to reconnect with one of my friends from college. This woman was instrumental in maintaining my sanity. She was our student government president, and I was the student administrative assistant, so we saw each other nearly every day. I had just received rejection letters from grad school – the first “thin” envelopes I’d ever received – and I was devastated. One day she asked me what I was doing over the weekend. My answer: Wallowing in self pity. She thought about that for a second, and then asked, “Is that location specific? Can you multi-task: Feel sorry for yourself and attend my party?” Needless to say, I went to the party and have never forgot that act of kindness.
Thank you for reading through the aside, and now back to the regularly scheduled blog post.
My aforementioned college friend sent me a Christmas card last week. It had lovely pictures of her family on the front, and on the back she wrote (by hand!) a wonderful message about us reconnecting and that she loves my blog! Since she doesn’t post often on Facebook (where I always announce my new posts), I didn’t even know she knew I had a blog! Once again, my heart was filled with joy.
Now I have absolutely no idea of what should be the definition of success for my blog. It tickles me to know that people I don’t know read my blog (and tell others about it!) AND that people I know in real life do as well. Maybe I’m too worried about labels and the judgements that come with them (My dance partner has been trying to teach me that lesson for years!). I love writing this blog, and I’m so grateful that people think enough of it to spend their valuable time reading it.
This past week has refreshed my memory of fact that simple acts (to us) can make such a big difference in the lives of others.
Grown Up, Now What? 
I’ve found the same delights – in both new people to interact with (like you) and old, dear friends whom i haven’t heard from for years and years and years. I’m not sure how they found The Empty Nest Mom but it’s been a lot of fun to hear from them again. Good friends with old roots. New friends who know how much fun it is to blog and to comment/reply, comment/reply. Glad you’re enjoying both aspects as well.
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Thank you, Barbara. I’m glad that I’m not the only one who gets to enjoy this delightful experience. I figure doing something I enjoy that warms my heart is the true definition of success.
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