The Boys & Me

I was contacted by a writer for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette a few weeks ago about a feature article she was writing about mommy blogs while posing the question, does blogging replace scrapbooking? Her article was published in the family section of today's paper. I was a little overzealous about answering her questions via email while I was in Phoenix. I spent most of the flight from Dallas to Phoenix thinking, articulating and crafting my responses. 

I didn't tell but a couple people about the article and I didn't tell anyone that it was being published today in case I sounded terrible in the article. I had no need to worry because my 807 words sent in for the article was narrowed down to one quote in the article. I'm laughing to myself because I'm so crazy to build it up in my head in the first place.

Since I worked hard on the responses that didn't make the article I'll share my 807 words here. Aren't you excited? Feel free to close your browser now.

I was given several questions to answer so here it is...

I started my first blog in 2008 through the CaringBridge organization when my son, Declan, was born 14 weeks premature. It began as a blog to keep my family and friends updated on our progress in the hospital and to document our son’s milestones as he grew stronger and healthier. It quickly flourished into a personal journal for the struggles I went through loving my son in the neonatal intensive care unit while my husband and our two older children were 50 miles away. My blog eventually became my refuge for my agonizing grief when our son passed away at nine weeks old. 

I learned through this experience that I loved writing and the blogging community. I found such great comfort in writing when I was having a rough day. I began reading other “mommy blogs” and got swept away with the idea that I could continue to be a part of this new platform. I was at a time in my life where I was trying to figure out how to go on living when my son hadn’t. I was looking for a way to reinvent myself. 

In January of 2009 I wrote my first post on my new blog, Linda and the Boys, not knowing if anyone would read it or if I would have enough to share to encourage readers to come back. Two years and 300 plus entries later I still love writing and keep a mental note of topics I could write about as I go through my day. I write a wide variety of topics ranging from anecdotes inspired from the shenanigans of my ADHD son, parenting struggles, our latest vacation, community activities, or a hot topic that I’m interested in giving a voice to. I’m very sensitive to the fact that there are people in my life who do not want to be a part of a public forum so I am selective about situations I write about or photos I post. Unfortunately I’ve learned the hard way that feelings can get hurt easily if you aren’t careful with your words even if they were said with innocent intentions. 

We have several friends and family members who do not live close to us so I use my blog to update them on what is happening with the boys at school or what we are up to. About a month into my blog my sister-in-law told me how exciting it was to learn a new side to me as she recognized that I would write about topics I wouldn’t necessarily bring up during our visits together. I also use my blog to supplement my scrapbooking hobby. I will refer back to posts on the blog and copy it straight into a scrapbook page. I don’t see it replacing my scrapbooks but more of an extension of it. 

I love the creativity in writing and photography that my blog allows me to feed on. For me blogging gives me a voice and a medium to share what goes on in my life. I believe we all need others and we all want a witness to our life. I think blogging caters to that. It has become an extension of our circle of friends or our next door neighbors. I think the blogging world has opened a door that allows women to have their voice heard and an opportunity for women to feel less lonely when they are struggling to find the balance we all desire so much because they see others challenged with the same issues. 

I hope to see my blog grow into a dialogue amongst the readers and myself. I would like to see two way communications happen more often. I hope my readers come back because they care about my little piece of the world. There are times when I write about real struggles I’m going through and I hope my readers are getting a sense that no one has a perfect life; it takes only one person to start an honest conversation about how difficult being a working mother or a wife or even a friend can be. Most of my readers are friends and family members or people I don’t stay in touch with as often we’d like so they drop in to see what we are up to. I have some readers who stumbled across my blog from other sites and others who followed me from my CaringBridge blog.

I am getting more involved in the Arkansas Women Bloggers and hope to find other networks to be a part of. 

I think some women do use their blog as a replacement to photo albums and scrapbooks but I am not convinced that this is the main reason women create blogs. I believe women blog to become a part of a community that welcomes their voice.