If some of you are getting tired of the many “A Prayer for the Heart” posts, about our son’s heart surgery, I understand. If you think it might be a bit too much, you certainly don’t have to plow your way further. It’s you choice. But I don’t – and please don’t misunderstand me on this point – write this for you. What I mean is I don’t write these posts to entertain in any way. I just write them because I feel I should.
Let me try to explain. Blogging about this important moment in our family’s life has been a good way to channel the thoughts and emotions I have. I actually didn’t think I would have the energy, but I’ve been sitting at the hospital late every night, getting a good load off my back. I wouldn’t analyze it too deeply, but the fact of the matter is that I have carried around a lot of thoughts. And when more thoughts (or whirlwinds) come every day, I have to file the old ones away to make room for the new ones, otherwise my head would be spinning off its socket. Hence, this blog has become an important filing system. I know it probably sounds a little nutty, but my writing has, in plain English, helped me. Especially this past week.
But there is always another bonus with writing. I believe it’s important to document the events of life, for myself, for my family, for my posterity, etc. But maybe even for you. Because the wonderful mystery about writing is that you never know whom you will touch. You only know this: it’s always someone. In that sense I was wrong in what I just stated, that I don’t write this for you. Maybe I do write this for you. Maybe these very words are meant for you? Naturally, that question is today purely hypothetical, because I cannot know what you think. I only have a feeling telling me I should write this, and so I do. I know the great masses probably wouldn’t care less about these writings, but maybe you do? I have received words from a few readers stating that certain topics or thoughts have really helped them in their lives. That’s great! Not for me, no, but for them! Of course, I get the reward of seeing positive fruits in someone else’s life, but that’s where the joy has to stop; it cannot be turned into self adornment. For if we write for the price of praise, then our words will eventually loose their spirit; and they will not have the power to change another person’s life.
So, what’s the point I’m trying to make. Well… I’m smiling to myself now, because I haven’t thought of a point yet. I’m just typing away. I actually wasn’t planning to write about this at all tonight. The thoughts just came… from somewhere. But maybe that’s just it! In accordance to what was written above, those thoughts probably want to find a nice, little file to be stored in. So I guess this serves as point number one: it’s important to find an appropriate forum to release your thoughts – whenever they come.
What else? Well, simply this: You should start to write too (if you haven’t already begun). Writing will help you. It will not only let you get things off your shoulders, but also help you define and identify your thoughts and feelings. This will in turn build your confidence and in the end make you a happier person. Do not, however, write to get praise from others. This is not saying we don’t need encouragement from each other – because we all do. No, it just means that praise and adoration shouldn’t be our primary motive. You should just write, first and foremost, because it is the right thing to do. And then, secondly, you will touch someone out there with your words. That’s the blessed bonus. Everyone has the gift and power to help someone, some time, somewhere.
Everyone. You too.
Clarification, added later: Thanks for all your thouights. I think you’re all very bright. I just want to clarify something that I perhaps wasn’t clear on earlier (it was late when I wrote). I wouldn’t say that I use the blog as “an outlet for emotional turmoil”. Sometimes, yes, it may be needful to clear your mind of many thoughts. This has certainly been the case this past week – and I stressed the importance of that in this post: “Blogging about this important moment in our family’s life has been a good way to channel the thoughts and emotions I have.” In that sense you are correct, Liselotte, even though I might have used another wording for it.
But in general, this is not at all what I use this blog for. It is called A GOOD LIFE. That means it is supposed to depict life from a positive, uplifting view. Hence, I don’t use this blog for therapy (that would be too heavy for all of us). Like most of you, I also have family and friends for that purpose. Not that there never are any therapeutic effects with blogging, because writing IS good therapy, of course… but again, that’s not the basic objective here.
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