I Did It!

Well, folks...I did it.  I set a goal, I worked hard, and I made it.  As of today, with this very blog post, I have achieved a goal I set for the year:  52 blogs in 52 weeks.  Except, thanks to the "30 in 30 days during November" throwdown my friend Jan gave me, I finished 6 weeks early.  It might seem small or trite to you, but trust me...it is not easy to find something meaningful and/or entertaining to say 52 times in a year.  Trust me.

This exercise has been good, though.  I've enjoyed it a great deal.  I hope that my seven faithful readers have enjoyed it, too.  At the the start of this exercise, I vowed to do two things:  1)  Write a piece of fiction, and 2) Reveal some of my secrets.  I've done both, and for the record...fiction was harder.

What I've learned is that when you tell your story, you own it.  No one can hold it against you, and most importantly, you can't hold it against yourself.  I've had people tell me that I'm brave for some of my writing, and I appreciate that sentiment.  There were posts that were very hard to publish, and yet, I know I am better for it.  The blog has been part therapy and part entertainment for me.  I have no doubt that I'll keep going.

So while this year was focused on just writing -making myself, week after week, write and write and write some more, next year needs to bring a new set of challenges.  I feel better about my writing than ever before, but it's time to put myself out there more, market, and develop a broader base of readers.  It's time to take it to the next level.

As I reflect back on the last year, I have a few posts that are particularly memorable for me.  In case you missed them, here are some of my favorites (in no particular order and hyperlinked for your convenience - yet another skill I learned this year):

1.  Veronica
2.  Bless His Heart
3.  Baby Carrots and Nail Clippers
4.  It's Never Too Late
5.  Right on Time
6.  A Single Girls Guide to Not Finding Love
7.  One Happy Memory
8.  Jimmy Crack Corn
9.  The Story I Never Told
10. Bananas Are All The Rage

To those of you who have read my posts...and to those who have furthermore encouraged me...thank you so much.  It's my honor that you actually care what I might have to say.  I look forward to finding more stories to share.  And if you don't wish to be featured in my blog, just make sure you never do or say anything interesting or embarrassing in my presence.  I'm getting desperate for material.