Lady Blog Loving - Writing Honestly

Blogging is a little side hobby of mine, and has been for the last 8 years. It's always been a way for me to express myself, record memories, or just tell a story. There have been blog ups and downs over the years, and times when I felt like quitting it all together. But these little silly posts are my memories, and I cherish this, for me and me only.

There have been times when I have opened my words up to the prying eyes of strangers who give nothing back, and times when I have made this private, open only to the eyes of my friends. I struggle between those two points - there are still times when I want to make this blog private again, so I can get really personal without having to go back and draft these posts because all of a sudden I'm like "WHO ARE YOU WEIRDOS READING MY PRIVATE THOUGHTS?", and I get freaked out by all the nameless faceless people creeping here. *waves*

So, I try to find a balance - I want to write and be real, but also respecting the privacy of my life and those in my life. It's something I continue to work out within myself, because writing makes me feel free, but at the same time, what I put here is forever out there, in some way, whether my post gets copied and shared, or it's in the memory of someone who has no business being inside my mind (and yet, like a vampire, I invited them in).

It takes a lot of fearlessness to put yourself out there. Your words, your feelings, your heart. To share yourself with others is easier for some of us. I have always tried to keep this light and funny, but at times I have written with an honesty that initially makes me feel so free, and then, weirdly enough, later makes me feel like I'm trapped inside a cage with transparent walls and everyone is looking and pointing.

In honor of other women who blog and put themselves out there in varying degrees, I wanted to share with you what I am reading these days. These women's words have made me laugh and cry. The honesty is stark, scary, and inspiring.

First off, Michaela Evanow. She writes about her life as a doula, but also mostly about life since the birth of their beautiful daughter, and later on, the diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy in her three and a half month old. It's heart breaking and inspiring and beautiful. It's very rare that I can get through a post without tears. It's a beautiful dedication to her daughter's strength, and her own.

Secondly, Liz over at One Twenty Five. She is SO open with her struggles about weight loss. She has QUITE the following and while the comments from readers have always been mostly caring and supportive, she always has to deal with a few absolutely horrid comments from people who think they "know" her from her words. This is a real woman, with real struggles, and she puts all her fears out there.

I have been following Heather over at Kiss My Broccoli for a few years now too. Her blog is food based, and I love her sense of humor and her crazy recipes! She is obsessed with pancakes, and while I have yet to make any of those, she often posts other recipes that are to die for. She is totally someone I would be friends with in real life.

My friend Jolanta has been blogging about her year as a traveling pharmacy resident, over at Perfect Poverty. The catch is that she is attempting to live off of $1000 per month, which is daunting. Her blog is HILARIOUS. It's incredible how dedicated she is at sticking to her budget - even if that means biking to and from work 80 km a day, or staying in some reeaaaaally sketchy places.

Last but not least, I am obsessed with MODG - Martini's or Diaper Genies. Yeah, fine...I'm kind of into mom blogs these days, but I guess that's because most women in their 30's have babies. This one is super funny....I love her. Her sense of humor is ripped from the pages of my own. It's candid and funny and doesn't gloss over the joys and distress of motherhood. Check it out, even if you don't have kids, because chances are you know some kids, or some moms, and this one is inspirational in that it finds the humor.

Being a blogger, no matter how small, makes you part of this wonderful community of creative people, etching out a space on the interwebs for themselves. Unless you are part of it, it's hard to fully understand the draw. I would encourage each and every one of you to try it, and to share a little of yourselves with the universe. Get involved!

xh