Some blogs have messages for the masses, which are embraced, shared, and circulated. Campaigns for cancer awareness, mental health, and peace come to mind. Who doesn’t want to be swept up in positive momentum of doing something worthwhile?

Other messages are like cries in the dark, like the suicide note I intercepted. Yes, this did happen to me. Unfortunately, there is not a happy ending to this story. In this case, the virtual realm met reality with tragic results. However, the saga continues. One courageous individual, perhaps, has met his destiny and offers hope and a new life for the two children left behind. This story deserves its own post.

In other cases, we as bloggers may want our messages to stay in our blogs. They may live in the hearts and minds of those who read them, but may not overlap with your functioning, daily life or involve further discussion past the comments section of your blog . You may, incidentally, mention a post to a loved one or a friend, who probably doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

A few of my family members read my blog and occasionally I will have a friend say, “Oh, I read your blog.” Or, he or she might say, “I love your blog.” I love it when I hear that. For the most part, however, I feel that my blog is insulated in the WordPress environment, so while it is public, there’s this feeling of containment, and no intersection with my actual life.

I have come to adore my community of bloggers and, to some extent, may even write knowing you are my audience, hoping you’ll stop by once again. I do not take your visits for granted. I feel assured that if you’re reading my blog it is because it is a choice. You want to be here to listen.

As bloggers, listening is one thing we do well. If we want to share a memory, story, or a song, we can put that in our blog. A problem, a confession, a revelation, why not put that in our blog? Happiness, successes, insecurities, and failures, all of it, you can leave it for your blog. As readers, we’re here, we’re ready, we accept.

If you’ll bear with me, I have a message I want to leave in my blog today. About a month ago, my mom mentioned to me that she was printing hard copies of my blog, nothing I would ever consider doing. Bless her! She had left my printed blog, quite a sizeable stack now, on her countertop before leaving for errands.

My brother happened to be there and asked, “What’s that?”

“It’s Amy’s blog.”

So, when my mom left on errands, he started reading my blog, and when she returned he was still reading my blog. He never knew I had such a thing.

“I can’t put it down,” he told her.

This touched me immeasurably. When I heard this, I was positively glowing inside, and felt acceptance, and maybe a possibility to reconnect. Our family gatherings with so many people are often too chaotic for deep conversation. I’m sure in some family situations where you see your family once or twice a year, you may have a that period of familiarizing yourself with their lives.

Lately, with my brother, we all know it’s not going well. We don’t need to ask, “How are things really?” I have always wanted to take a walk around the block with him to ask, “How we can we make it better? How can we fix things?”

So, I hope he reads this, and that soon we take that walk. I’m here to listen.

P.S. I’m available to write your book. Count me in.

photo credit: Tom Gill. via photopin cc