I’ve been quiet around the fence lately. My heart hasn’t been able to connect with the keyboard, and I’ve been feeling very small in the blog world. And so I share recipes and a giveaway, which brings me joy, but I know it’s not my norm and I feel that.

But here’s the thing:

my voice matters.

It rings loud and clear about my stories, my experiences, my life and heart. When I feel niche-less and un-expert on any particular topic, I’m confident in knowing that I am an expert in my life & stories. And I know that in sharing those things, you feel open to sharing your own life and experiences and stories. I know this because you tell me, both online and off:

  • You thank me for telling you that my Boy still doesn’t sleep thru the night because yours doesn’t either, and then you don’t feel like a failure or alone in the wee hours.
  • You’ve thanked me for sharing about my postpartum healing nightmare, and told me you feel less like a freak because your body didn’t bounce back from birthing a child, and that you didn’t feel alone when you started hooha therapy.
  • You confide a miscarriage to me because I’ve shared about mine. Both times.
  • You make recipes I share and tell me that your family gobbled it up.
  • You feel like you know my family, even without their names, because of the pictures and stories, and so we skip the small talk and dive into the real.

And THAT? Those stories? They are the reason I write. You, and YOUR voice, matters to me and mine. Because it is in each others voice that we find our own. Your stories matter. Your voice, written on the pounding out on the keys, is important. And when we feel like we’re losing that passion, that drive, that voice… we can look to one another to find it.

Mary DeMuth said a few weeks ago that if we clam up, if we don’t share our stories and words, that part of God’s Kingdom is not being ministered to. People will miss out if you don’t write. Not only do your stories matter to me finding my voice, your stories may provide oasis to others. I follow blogs because I find myself in their words, and it’s a solace to me to find a kindred spirit who provides comfort to me, even unbeknownst to them. That’s what we do offline, right? Choose and make friends who share a common thread, who give us a shoulder to lean on, who give space in which to vent, who rejoice with us, who grieve with us, who do life with us. And believe it or not, that can happen online too.

But we need to be brave and bold and sit down and write. Community can’t happen here if we don’t write. Friendships can’t grow if we don’t share. Even when we don’t know what to say… we need to show up. This is what I’m learning:
Show up.
Write.
Be an expert of your own life.
Share your stories.

This is all we need to do. There’s no need for pin-able graphics or polished editing or endorsements. All we need to do is come to the fence. 

-Anna
{girl with blog}

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