What's My Purpose?

Years ago, when blogs first started popping up, I thought, "What's the purpose?"  Why would anyone want to put all their thoughts & feelings out there for the whole world to read.

I stayed away.

But then I found myself emailing photos to family with updates on what the kiddos were doing.

weekly.

it was a lot.

So, I thought what a great way to share what's going on in the lives of the Darlings in Texas with family.  Ah ha - there's my purpose!

and the first edition of The Texas Darlings was born.

I posted strictly family stuff for almost 2 years.  I was working full time and not blogging very often.  It was only read by my family (or so I hoped it got read :)) ).  Looking back on it now, I am so thankful that I did it - I have so many great family moments that I captured that I might have missed or forgotten otherwise.  Ah - what a great purpose!

When I got laid off in early 2009, before the baby was born, I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands and got sucked into the blogging community.  I started joining into weekly memes and had a lot of fun reading about other moms' adventures.  I found great ideas and inspiration out there.  I joined a blogging Bible study.  I took an online photography class.  And I had so much fun getting to know people online.

I found my focus shifting a bit - I'd post about my family still, but I found other things to post about too - my favorite things, favorite pictures.......but my purpose remained focused on my family.

Blogging became a way to disconnect from the real world, chronicle my adventures in raising a baby after 8 years of not having one, and record all those memories that I was soon to be forgetting.

I made friends ~ how can you not when you are reading what is going on in each others lives & minds.  When you blog, you tend to know what is going on with someone in California & Florida better than your next door neighbor.  And the relationships were healthy.  I have received notes of encouragement and random gifts in the mail from my blogging friends.  We are friends on The Facebook and The Twitter and Hey Tell and we text each other.  And we have never met in person.

But.  Don't tell anyone this. I didn't discuss my blogging community of friends with many of my IRL friends.  I didn't think anyone who is not involved in blogging would understand it or could relate to it. Especially my family - I thought they would make fun of me.  (I know, I'm a crappy friend....don't be mad)

And then I lost my blog.

Oh how upset I was - I swear I developed 3 ulcers over that 3 day period. The thought of losing all those years of journaling my families' life.  The thought of starting over. The thought of losing touch of my friends.  It was very upsetting.

And I got it back.

And my purpose is renewed.

I am creating a work of art.  Yeah, it's not a masterpiece for the general public.  And I am probably the only person who can appreciate it.  But I know that I will be so very happy that I am chronicling not only what is going on in Sissy, Brody, Bubba, Matt, and my life.....but I am blogging about what is relevant in 2011.  And when I read it 20 years from now, I am going to appreciate that I blogged about what a fun birthday Sis had.  How lucky we were to go to Disney World at Christmas.  How blessed we are to live in Texas and are a strong & happy family.

And I don't care what anyone thinks about what I write about.  Because I am not blogging for them anymore.  I'm blogging for me.

And my wonderful friends who I have made?  Matt put it nicely the other night - he said that we have made personal connections with each other.  Who cares if we live down the block or 15 hours away from each other?  God puts people in each others lives for a reason.  And I know that he brought my blogging friends into my life for a purpose.  And I can not be ashamed or want to hide that.

So My Purpose?

I don't have one - I want to blog about any & everything.  Have fun.  Meet people. And ensure that I publish this so that if it does disappear one day, I have an incredible record of the wonderful experience blogging has brought me.

Thank you all for being a part of my purpose.