I started (my) Rabbit Trails with the belief that: I am not alone. But sometimes we don't really feel that until someone else is honest (even when scared) enough to say it. This last year I've written about a wide range of topics moving home, books, recipes, fitness & running and even touring a bourbon distillery.
I've thought a lot about what I want this to be and where I want this to go (learning a lot along the way). The biggest lesson: no matter how different some of us seem at times – we all pretty much want the same things.
I want love, I want acceptance, I want validation and I want some affirmation that I'm doing this parenting / mom / wife / employee / friend / daughter / human thing ok. I'd imagine most of you all want those things too.
I (embarrassingly so) wrote for the first year with a somewhat disconnected voice about being a working mom. Kind of like while in the boardroom and purposely not mentioning your kids, even when everyone else does. What me? Oh no, those little humans just live in my house. I'm not emotionally committed to them. The only thing I am emotionally committed to is this company. Go team!
Content: My underlying objective in most posts is basically me trying to figure all this sh&% out: so how do I raise these kids, hold down a job, not lose my sense of self and still date my cute husband? These posts (let's call them the Rabbit Trails) have been weekly on Thursday-ish (sometimes life moves the day). Sometimes they will be lighter and more practical, like these staple granola or pizza recipes that make life easier. And sometimes more real, like this about how I really felt the first weekend I had the three boys all by myself including what I did when we learned we were having our third boy).
On the weekly Rabbit Trails post, a few folks have suggested specificity. Be a running blog! Pick one thing and focus only on that. But backed by the tremendous positive feedback and support I've received, I've fought it. My life is not one-dimensional and I know yours isn't either. The topics will continue to vary with the common thread tying it together being: we're all in this together trying to figure it all out.
In addition to believing we are all in this together, I believe we can make it a little easier for each other by sharing what's working for us. This year I am adding my Weekly Top 5. The objective of this list is to share things that are making me smile (and anytime I'm smiling life is definitely easier).
Every Monday from here on out, I'll post my Weekly Top 5 (first one up next Monday). Whether music, food, consumer goods (think products plus clothes & accessories) and/or a good quick read – whatever I am hearting – it'll be here.
Picts: I don't love picts of myself (plus I am not good at selfies, nor am I very photogenic). So I have fought posting picts of me. But picts of myself help tell this story. Slowly and begrudgingly, there will be more. Don't worry, this won't become a selfie-fest, just a glimpse of who's behind the camera (usually me) and who's pecking away at these words.
Here's my first attempt at posting more picts of me. Notice the cut-off face? I'm easing into it.
Tone: It was drilled into me (20 years of formal education) to use a certain formality and diction while writing. But this isn't a term paper, nor is it a letter to my senator (this nerd has done both of the aforementioned activities). I'm going to stop editing contractions out of my writing, maybe sound a little more chatty and some y'alls may find their way to the page because all are part of my life.
Housekeeping: Sometimes the WordPress (the site the powers (my) Rabbit Trails) to Facebook link doesn't work. For those of you viewing via FB, if you click the Follow button on the right and enter your email address (you'll get a confirmation in your email account) you'll be sure to get all posts whether or not the Facebook connect button works. Nothing bad will happen to you email address. It's just to send you the post.
Also I love it when you Like, Comment and Share! It helps me know what you're liking, what you're not liking, what's working and what's not working. Please keep it coming!
And since I've written about the concept of Verbal High Fives, I'd be remiss to not say, THANK YOU. Thank you to everyone who has read, who has liked, who has commented publicly and all those who have said something privately. I have been more than overwhelmed by all of the positive feedback and never expected it. I will never be able to express my full gratitude (and if you said it to me face to face I most surely responded awkwardly. Thanks for bearing with me.).
Sarah – you're the best! Thanks for all the support! Miss you all so much!
I always look forward to reading your posts. Now I'm excited to see the new features you've included for 2017. Cheers Libby!
Thanks so much, Libby. Through this blog I've had the good fortune to meet some amazing people, including you. The support of my fellow bloggers has been the biggest and best surprise of this journey. Here's a Verbal High Five to that!