My my, what an interesting couple of years it has been for me when it comes to my blog,
highs and lows…ups and downs.
Loving it and hating it, devoted to it, and nasomuch…
It’s been kind of the focus of my blog lately, pondering the meaning of it all….
and if you’re still here reading, you must be like, AGAIN?!?
Yes, again.
I’m processing people, process with me.
{quarter life crisis a few years late, maybe?}
{quarter life crisis a few years late, maybe?}
The longer I spend away, the more I know I am making the right decision.
As much as I love you all, and love the connection of sharing our stories…I have to say I love even more sitting down at night next to my husband and snuggling up not feeling as though I am letting down the masses (go with me here) by not responding to their comments.
I love waking up and being present with my kids (well, when the caffeine kicks in) rather than having the pressure to come up with a daily blog post to “keep up the stats”….or spending hours trying to follow the rules of building and growing a blog.
It’s quite involved, the blog world.
And in order to be successful, it can become a part time, even a full time job, rather than a hobby you started out loving.
And for a time, that’s where I was.
And it was worth it, and I loved it, and I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.
I needed that distraction.
Or rather, focus.
It helped me find myself. It allowed me a place to be honest.
I grew, and I learned, and I loved.
But things change. Focus shifts. Life happens.
Diapers are dirty, there’s another bootie to be wiped, the kitchen needs to be cleaned, laundry piles up, and little human souls look up at you and wonder who has become more important…
them or the ones you are reaching out to.
I never want them to wonder.
Being successful at something is amazing and rewarding,
but if it costs something or someone else,
it’s not worth it…
not in my mind.
If it makes you change slightly from who you were made to be,
or makes you do things you question you would do otherwise…
it’s not worth it.
Look at some truly successful people out there…
then look at their relationships.
Look at their marriages and families and kids…
a lot of times, there isn’t much to be admired beyond the successful thing, huh?
My first responsibility is to grow in my relationship to Christ.
Then with my husband.
Then with my children…
and then what I have left…I give to my ministry.
It hasn’t been that way.
It still isn’t.
But as I said, things are shifting.
I am letting go just a little bit at a time, and it feels absolutely right.
I’ve always said, this blog will always be here.
I am a writer in my soul, therefore it is in me to write just as it is to breathe.
But the game is over.
The ratings are erased, the stats are gone.
I will just write to write.
I will share what is on my heart or mind, deep or not, received or not, comments or none.
Life is too short.
All we have is now, and I want to be present and aware and make the most of each moment I have given with the people God has given to me.
© 2010 “Le Musings of Moi”
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So very true! Great post….love ya!
awh, i will miss you, but you gotta do what makes you & your family happy and at peace!! xo
You are so right about blogging! I started my little blog a while ago to just share pics with a few of my family members. Now I’m meeting and connecting with awesome moms all over the world! Things change and you always have to do what’s best for you. I can relate to everything you just posted. I will still love ya, no longer how long you stay away! Have a good week! 🙂
I love this. Thanks Summer for a great reminder.
I am noticing this sentiment is going around the blog world and I am starting to feel the same way. This week, I sat down and churned out my posts for the week on one day (leaving tomorrow open for my post-doctor appointment preggo update)and I’m starting to think I’ll go down to 3 posts a week. How I’ll blog at all once my baby arrives in a few weeks is beyond me.
As a blogger who left and returned, I can completely relate to your post!
I’m glad that I stopped blogging for a long while…it really gave me perspective…my blog survived…I blog when I feel like it and don’t feel pressured to comment all over the place…unless I choose to…
This is a blessing of a post for so many bloggers…especially newbies…thanks for your honesty!
I can totally see how starting out with something as a hobby and then have it turn into a semi-job can be exhausting. I’m not even in that boat and I get tired. At one point I was blogging daily. I had a lot to say, a lot to share, memes to play, photos to display, contests to enter, giveaways to promote… but it became too much. I worried over followers, I let comments vs. no comments determine whether I was interesting. And if you aren’t posting you aren’t getting heard so then you feel like you have nothing of importance to say. Our worth does not come from man, nor blog..but from God. I think it’s awesome that you are allowing Him to work in your life. Blogging can still be an outlet, but it doesn’t have to be your priority. God Bless and Much love!
amen that is how bloggers should be!
So true Summer.
Every time I start to compare about # of comments/followers, etc., I have to remind myself why I started blogging in the first place. It wasn’t to make money, or have the most people read, it was an online scrapbook of my family. And I like it that way. 🙂
Well written. And even if your posts only come once in awhile, I’ll still be reading.
Blogging is what you make of it.
And I think that you make it good.
It is really hard to live life and spend time with loved ones while spending so much time on blogging.
I’ve stepped back a little and things are so much better and easier to handle in my life.
Good luck to you!
Blogs should definitely be for fun and enjoyment! Go momma!
It sounds like you are doing what is best for you and that is the most important thing!
Agreed with all these ladies…do what you love and what’s best for you! 🙂
Oh, Summer – I just love you to pieces, girl. 🙂 This is an amazing post, and as someone who took nearly a full two-month hiatus from blogging, I can relate to you completely. I’m still pretty sporadic. For a while, I just felt there wasn’t much to write about that I felt like sharing publicly. And I didn’t want to have that pressure you mentioned – having to come up with daily or weekly or whatever amount of posts, just for the sake of having a post up. I only want to write when I actually have something to SAY. And, watching your posts lately, I love that you are doing the same – writing when you have something that clearly is very important to you and very introspective. You’re awesome, lady. 🙂 And next time I log into blogger, I’m erasing my stat counter – you inspired me. What a concrete step to take to really put priorities in line. It feels so much better to enjoy my life and those I love than to have the stress of wondering what to blog about. Love you, girl!
Beautifully put. I feel very much the same way……the need to put stats and popularity and pressure behind me to focus on other things.
I actually don’t agree with any of this at all.
Dammit Summer.
RIGHT ON!!! 🙂
-makay
i go through this all the time.
It’s a back and forth thing.
I am currently in my forth phase.
I tend to delete blogs that are all about their business, their stats, their status, and their comments. I’m here to write about my life. If someone wants to read it and comment on it, great. If they don’t, I’m not crying over it. I enjoy blogging and love the friendships, but it doesn’t rule my life.
Seems like all your posts now are about how much you don’t want to blog. It’s ok! You’re a mom, that’s way more important. I always wondered how you did it before anyway, what part of your life suffered for your blog, ya know? We’ll miss you, but you’ve got to live your life, not this virtual life, right?
Can you throw in a fashion post once in a while? I know you’re still dressing up and posing for the camera!
Absolutely TRUE!
As I read this, I saw a part of me in what you read. I need to focus and not worry about if I got a comment or not. I tend to go through these phases where I’m all up in the moment and then other times when I’m all “who cares”.
So, I’m with you. Who cares….except I do care about the ones in my innermost personal part of my life!
Thanks for this!
FAB post!!!! ♥you
I’ve missed you! I completely understand where you’re coming from though. Keeping up with a blog is difficult and I don’t even have 3 kids!