Category — Blogoversary

When I was little, I couldn’t wait to be 19. It’s a fun word to say in another language I speak, and I planned to say my age every chance I got. But I forgot all about it as I aged.

The night before I turned 20, I was getting ready to meet a friend for my birthday dinner. I remembered how much I wanted to be 19 when I was a kid, but I also realized it was the last day I would be 19, and I barely ever told anyone my age. I had wasted 19! I asked everyone to ask my age as much as possible that night. It was going to be the last time I got to tell anyone I was 19.

Luckily, I remembered this in time for my blog to turn 19. I get to have a full year of telling people that this site is 19. You know, for all those times that people stop you and say, “Hey, how old is your blog?”

Thank you for continuing to show up here and read the posts. It means a lot to me, especially now when the internet can sometimes feel very loud. I like my quiet space, and I’m glad you’re here, too.

This blog is officially an adult on Friday.

When I started writing it, I thought it would be amazing if I could keep it going for a year or two. But I kept it going for 18 years — 5 posts per week, every week, with very few exceptions.

Building on last year’s post, there are now over 5,700 posts and over 85,000 comments. I cannot begin to calculate how many hours have been spent on this space. I have been writing this blog for 36% of my life. For 90% of the twins’ lives.

I am so grateful to everyone who reads it — for the relationships I built over these 18 years. For the voices who have come and gone (and sometimes come back again). Thank you. For being here.

If my blog were a person, they would be nearing the age of adulthood. Tomorrow begins their final year of childhood as they make their way through 365 days to their 18th birthday. It is my 17th blogoversary.

Last year I said:

Any time I think about not writing, I think about how I have this account of what I was thinking and feeling and going through for the majority of their life. It’s over 5000 posts and 84,000 comments, and we often scroll back through random months to find old stories.

I am grateful to have the record. I think more and more often about stopping this site or slowing down the pace. Though I also know that slowing down the pace is the first step in stopping altogether. And I love having this record. I love being able to look back and re-read old stories. It’s the push and pull of wanting and not wanting to stop. Both at the same time.

Thank you for reading the blog — either for a long or a short time, for one post or over 5,000.

This is, believe it or not, my 16th year of blogging. My 16th blogoversary. I started writing in this space 16 years ago.

And I’ve kept it up, year after year after year. Five times per week. Year after year after year.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the start of this blog because we’re once again at a crossroads. When I started this blog, the twins were giving up their bottles. And now they’re a year away from leaving for college. My heart is heavy. Melissa back then didn’t know how hard this time would be. She didn’t know those would truly be her final bottles because she would walk away from treatments a few years later without her third child. And while she could fathom that one day her kids would be grown, she couldn’t really understand how it would feel to hear them say something super clever or apply to a college or reach out to a friend in need.

Crap. I thought I was going to write about writing, but it always comes back to them.

Any time I think about not writing, I think about how I have this account of what I was thinking and feeling and going through for the majority of their life. It’s over 5000 posts and 84,000 comments, and we often scroll back through random months to find old stories — most recently the trip to the potato chip factory!

It is not too late if you haven’t written in your blog for a long time. You can do it today, and then do it tomorrow, and then maybe even the next day. And you will pop up in my feed reader because I haven’t removed you. A blog post from you would be a little gift to celebrate this milestone.

Not sure what #MicroblogMondays is? Read the inaugural post which explains the idea and how you can participate too.

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Today marks the day when I’ve been writing this blog for 15 years. Almost a third of my life. Life math like that blows my mind. A third of my life has been spent recording my memories and thoughts in this space. Next year will tip the scales into the over category: from just under a third to just over a third. Consistently—I think my longest break has been five or so days? I’ve done that twice.

Back in the old days, I would have used my blogoversary to note lessons learned, but they really haven’t changed much over time. Set up time in your day to open a blank blog post. Write something down. Hit publish. Do it again the next day and the one after that. Give yourself a break or two in the week so you don’t get burned out. Keep this going for 5,475 days.

It’s a happy accident that this post falls on a Monday—on #MicroblogMonday, when I encourage you to write in your own space. Whatever you post on Facebook today, also post it on your blog. Do the same thing tomorrow. And the day after that. Speak with people in both spaces: the immediate response and the slower discussion. It’s just about owning your thoughts; keeping record of them in your space.

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Are you also doing #MicroblogMondays? Add your link below. The list will be open until Tuesday morning. Link to the post itself, not your blog URL. (Don’t know what that means? Please read the three rules on this post to understand the difference between a permalink to a post and a blog’s main URL.) Only personal blogs can be added to the list. I will remove any posts that are connected to businesses or are sponsored post.