For a second, I was confused then I realized what she was really asking.
"Is this your real life?"
I responded with "I've been blessed." And I meant it.
Though later on in the night, after the kids went to bed and the house was quiet, my thoughts returned to the random conversation. It's then when the small voice that lingers in the back of my mind and asked me which is my real life.
I thought of my life as a writer, mom that happens to be divorced and single, life explorer, global traveler, blogger, sister, friend.... I thought of the journey that I have been on for the last ten or so years, the gifts that have been granted, the awesome experiences and people that have crossed my path, heartbreak, growth, loss, birth, blessings, gifts, and moments that feel like highway robbery, thankfully unanswered prayers, unexpected windfalls, along with the crazy fabulous adventures that would make for magnificent fiction reading, if it weren't so real and still just a smidge raw because it's still just my own everyday life.
Then I got out of my head and realized that ALL of it is my real life, and it's so much more than I put on the page. It's so much in how I choose to see it, and I felt free to be the woman that I've grown to be.... unapologetic and grateful for the blessings that are in my life and the journey that I've taken.
Choosing to write as a profession is like taking a mirror and shining a big bright light on your strengths and flaws, sharing the fabulous triumphs and your epic fails, weighing what's personal, private and what still serves a purpose with sharing with the readers that share glimpses into your world. It's deciding what is real, raw and painful and still worthy of sharing. It's choosing your life's motto and charging forward.
In the thought of this, I am taking part in Mandy Hale's The Single Woman's Thirty Day Challenge and hopefully by the end of these 30 days we end up somewhere further down the yellow brick road than we started.
If you'd like to join in the introspective fun, here's the link.
Here is the link to the original post by Mandy Hale, http://thesinglewoman.net/2013/10/04/the-single-womans-30-day-blogging-challenge/
ReplyDeleteI wonder how often people question the blogs that they read. Whether or not they feel the blogger is real or not. Good luck with your challenge!! I am sure you will definitely be further along the yellow brick home!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Taylor. The thought crosses my mind often, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens. :)
DeleteAwesome post - I was thinking about this last night. When I first started blogging years ago, it was more personal because no one was reading it. I have been slipping little glimpses into the real life, but it is so hard anymore. Good luck and I'm checking out challenge!
ReplyDeleteThe same experience pretty much happened to me with my first blog. It was more personal but then morphed into something new. Thanks for the cheer and can't wait to see what happens on the other side.
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