One Year of Blogging: Thank You

Posted on by threeboysandamom

It’s my 1 year blogaversary!

One year ago, I was sitting in bed with screaming thoughts and an aching heart. I’d been feeling God’s nudge toward writing for a while; but that night, around 11pm, I googled “How to start a blog,” decided free WordPress looked the best (and easiest), created an account and got started.

I had NO idea what I was doing. But I knew I was in the right place.

I gave it the name “The Rolly Boley’s,” partly because my youngest had just started rolling and I liked the rhyme, and partly because I knew in my gut that although I’d given all I had to avoid it, major changes were on the horizon for me and my boys.

I began pouring my heart out in small doses, and slowly but surely I had a follower or two. Every new follower I got absolutely floored me to the ground. (It still does). The thought that out there in the world were strangers who cared at all what I had to say was just truly amazing.

After officially separating from my husband last March, I decided the name needed to change. I wasn’t thrilled with it to begin with but along with that was the knowledge that having my last name in my blog title was just not something I wanted to do. It didn’t seem to fit. So I thought on it for a while and one day, I realized I was making it too complicated. I relaxed and the name “Three Boys and a Mom” came to me. I knew that was the right fit. Afterall, I’m a mom, and I have three boys. That about sums it up, while leaving me plenty of room to write on anything I want! 🙂

I have never been a very organized blogger. I still have very little clue what I’m doing as far as the design aspect goes. Pretty much, I just kind of keep slapping things together as I go and hope for the best. But so far, this small sliver of the internet has been an absolute blessing!

As I was reflecting on this year of blogging and the gift it has been in my life,  I realized…

This is holy ground.

Each time I write, whether it’s about the humor of motherhood, the devastation of divorce, or anything in between, I open my heart and let it bleed out onto the screen. I don’t worry about saying too much. I don’t fear who will like it and who won’t. I don’t even put that much thought into it most of the time. I simply wait for the prompting and allow the overflow of my heart to spill out into this blog.

And you all have caught the overflow.

Relative to the world of blogging, I am a tiny speck on the internet’s hiney. But each and every reader and follower of this blog means something to me. I am beyond humbled, awed and inspired by the fact that any of you take your time to read what I have to say. When you dedicate moments of your life to comment and share your thoughts, your heart and your struggles with me, that my friends, is holy ground. This has become a sacred space.

Here lately I have felt like I need to take off my shoes when I read and respond to your comments. There is a reverance that comes from you that is irreplaceable. The bravery in opening up your lives to me, trusting me with your stories, and respecting me enough to bother leaves me speechless at times.

Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it. But I do want to say Thank You.

You’ve seen me through the crumbling of my marriage, the loss of my dreams, and the rebuilding of new dreams. You’ve witnessed firsts, nexts and lasts with me. You’ve seen my babies grow. You’ve laughed with me and you’ve cried with me. You’ve grieved for me and you’ve been champions for me. You’ve loved me through my worst and encouraged me at my best. 

Thank you for walking this journey with me. Thank you for supporting me through one of the most difficult years of my life and for becoming part of my heart. Thank you for holding space for me in your hearts and for allowing me to cry, laugh and pray for you as you have done for me. You inspire me. You strengthen me. You make me brave. 

I would continue writing even if no one ever read a word of it. But the fact that so many people have found my blog and let me into their lives because of it… I have no words.

God has used this space to heal me. To mold, sustain and rescue me. To redeem and change me. But beyond what he has done to me, he has used this space to do things through me. To connect to other human beings on such a deep and personal level, and to be given the gift of sharing in each other’s pain, joy, and sorrow is truly divine. I’ve gutted myself in front of you and rather than turning away, you’ve poured your guts out too. Walking amongst that much truth, that much beauty, and that much strength… It’s holy ground.  

Not because of me, but because of you!

So thank you! This space would be much less beautiful and far less meaningful without you in it!

Here’s to bleeding hearts, taking off our shoes and walking this holy ground together.

XOXO,

Rachael

As always, thanks for reading and don’t forget to vote!
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In honor of this blogaversary, I thought I’d share links to a few of my favorite posts, in the order from which they came. 🙂

1. One of my very first posts: Crazy, Beautiful, Perfect, Mess
2. A pivotal point in letting go of my marriage: Letting Go of the Broken Mirage
3. Valuable lessons I learned from my kids: Big Lessons from Small Souls
4. Celebrating motherhood in all its stink: Power to the Showerless
5. When Love Ends in a Courtroom
6. Comic relief: Moms Say the Danrndest Things
7. Being home for my boys: Home Is Where The Heart Is
8. The joys of boys: You Know You Belong To Boys When
9. Finding Beauty in the Broken
10. Trying to drink coffee as a mom: How a mom enjoys her coffee in 97 steps
11. A lesson on love and shoes: I’ll Make It Fit
12. The transition from single stay at home mom to single full time working mom: The Cost of Motherhood
13. Coping with my first over night visitation: You can run, but you can’t hide
14. Comic relief for early mornings with kids: How to survive early mornings with young kids
15. An open letter to my ex: You’re Missing Everything
16. Encouragement for single moms facing visitation
17. Accepting the holes in our lives and allowing God to fill them: It’s a Beautiful Hole

36 thoughts on “One Year of Blogging: Thank You”

  2. Thank you for being so raw and so real. You are an inspiration for this baby blogger. You spur me to more bravery in myself and my own writing with every post I read. It is such a privilege to share a glimpse of your world, because I get to glimpse our God and how He moves and grows us. Blessings to you on your first year! Here’s to many more!

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    • Oh that means a lot to me… thank you!! Glad you’re here! I enjoy yours as well, although I need to get better about reading and commenting on everyone else’s beautiful work! Not enough hours in a day!

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  7. HAPPY 1 YEAR!! Beautifully said 🙂

    I am a relatively new follower and I absolutely love your blog. Sometimes I read your sad words and think to myself “this was me at one point.” You have no idea just how much I can relate to many of the thoughts, feelings and experiences you so beautifully portray in your blog. When I have some free time on my hands I fully intend to go back to the beginning and read from the start.

    Keep on blogging hun! And doing what you do best….being a wonderful and strong mother while doing it all on your own. Single moms everywhere salute you…including me!

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    • WOW! That means so much to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am so glad you’re here and so appreciate your words of encouragement. Thanks again and I look forward to reading more of your work too!

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  14. happy anniversary! You’re doing such a great job and pouring your heart and soul out is such a great therapy sometimes. I do the same thing on my blog and I really don’t care what the world thinks! It just makes me feel better, that’s why I do it. The rewards are just a bonus!

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  15. I began my blog for the same reason. I haven’t reached my one year anniversary yet, but this reminds me I should celebrate it when the time comes. Your blog looks a lot like mine, a place where we grow, heal, share and connect with others. Writing on my blog has done so many wonderful things for me personally and socially, although I’d love to meet other like minded bloggers. Glad to meet you! I hope you visit my page one day. Happy blog birthday! http://www.mommy-diary.com

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  16. Hi, I love this post. I wanted to ask if I may, is your blog on wordpress.com or wordpress.org? My blog is getting close to the one year mark and I was also clueless when I started it a year ago. I am now thinking of sitching over to the .org, but am terrified of losing info, stats, etc. I was wondering which platform you were on? Thanks!

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    • Thank you…I appreciate that! I am using wordpress.com still but I did buy my domain name. I am scared to make the switch too and do not know what I’m doing enough to feel confident in getting too fancy haha! I know several people who have done the switch and done self hosted and love that…. I am just not quite confident enough in switching yet.

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      • Yes I am terrified of having to teach myself an entie new platform, and even more afraid of losing info. All bloggers say to make the switch, but I don’t think I am savvy enough yet to make it. Also, I’ll incur additional costs such as the hosting website and the service for updates and I have to maintenance it myself?!?! Way to much to keep track of, I’m only now getting comfortable with the wordpress.com website…LOL! Maybe next year…

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