107 Blog Posts, Lessons, Tears - The Journey Has Just Begun

Recently it was brought to my attention that I didn't write a Happy 100 blog post. Well, not only did I not know I was supposed to write a commemorative 100th blog post, but I didn't even realize I had reached 100 already!

So, tonight we have Congratulations 107 Blog Post.

I started this blog almost exactly 9 months ago with the intention to get back to journaling, rekindle my love of writing and a place to talk about and share my yoga. I had friends who wrote blogs that were fun to read so I figured I'd give it a try. I honestly didn't think anyone would read it, and I honestly didn't care. I was writing for myself.

I had no idea then the topics that I would end up writing about, the truths I would share here, or how important this blog would become to me.

I wouldn't have believed there were going to be nights I cried as I typed, but I had to keep typing in order to stop crying.

Yoga - I wrote about poses on the mat, living yoga off the mat, and even a couple posts about the actual yoga mat.

Kids - last summer was my summer spent riding in the back of an ambulance to LeBonheur Children's Hospital where kid #3 would end up in traction, surgery, casts and weekly doctor visits. Just as he was finishing up his summer in a cast, kid #5 fell and we began the process all over again. Looking back over those blogs now I'm reminded how  the rest of the kids came together with concern and compassion. For a moment in time the sibling rivalry and bickering stopped and we as a family were there for each other.

Career - I've been very fortunate to to have had some success in my yoga teaching. I've been to Los Angeles and San Diego to train with some amazing yoga mentors. I even got to spend an an amazing weekend with John Friend  where I can honestly say I met some of the nicest yogi's ever.

Cancer - when this blog began, I had a healthy mom who was happy I was finally getting back to writing. Shortly after I started writing again, she was diagnosed with cancer. Just five months later she was dead. Looking back at the posts I wrote about mom being sick, I see the increasing fear in my writing. My posts about mom began in a "well doesn't this suck" kind of way. They quickly became more serious and more powerful. Some of the hardest posts I've written have turned out to be my most read posts. I've been told my writing has helped other people going through their own difficulties. That's one of the best compliments a writer can receive.

Finding the writer within me - Starting this blog reminded me of and returned me to my first love. I may have forgotten for awhile, but I can't not write any better than I can't not breathe. It's part of who I am. And in a surprise turn of events, my YogaLifeWay blog here has turned into  recurring posts on  Elephant Journal. You can read my Elephant posts by clicking the links on the side listed here -->
under the Elephant logo. (Please click the links! I promise it's more good stuff.) My latest post sort of takes everything I've written about here in the past 9 months and applies the lessons it's all taught me.

I had no idea what was going to happen when I started this blog. I have no idea what is yet to come. I'm pretty sure more tears, more laughs and more lessons. I'm honored that so many are reading my posts here and over at Elephant. The only way I can keep doing this though is to keep my intention the same. I'm writing to me, for me.

Thank you for joining me on my journey.