One Year Later

How it started… Well this is embarrassing. Me. Writing a blog. I barely passed English in high school. Not because I didn’t like to read, I did. Not because I couldn’t write, I could. I just could not be bothered, it was not important to me…

Today… we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and I seem to be more connected to the world than I ever was. In one year people from 46 different countries have read my blog…my rants, my joys, my sorrows. Waking up to find out that someone from Malaysia has read a swoon about wacky American customs makes my heart burst. Knowing that a tribute to a local man reached more people than any other post reminds me honoring good people does not go unnoticed. Words count. Memories that seem like they can only be mine…shared by so many others. Feelings are universal.

I write this Swoon with so much appreciation for…the lovely comments, the swoonie private messages, forgiving typos and punctuation errors that I know can be like fingernails on a chalkboard, and most of all…the quiet weekly clicks. You have given me so much encouragement. Strangers. Friends. Family. Swoon. I never thought I would be able to write a blog consistently, and the pandemic has made swooning a little challenging to say the least…but things happen when they are important to you.

This past year as taught me that we have no idea how strong we are…how stepping out from ones comfort zone does not kill us…that people from all over the world want to connect, that we need to connect…that trying new things is wonderful… and that life can have joy mixed right in with fear and sorrow.

Today is a busy day, a new start for my girl as we clean out her childhood room. Cherished memories packed up, things outgrown given to others, wall preparation, color choices, and a fresh coat of paint. Life is about renewal, doing things that are hard at the moment, then looking back and thinking how was I ever scared about taking on that adventure.

Swooning, it actually was very embarrassing at times…but worth every word. Thank you for reading, I appreciate every one of you, from Romania to Qatar, we are all in this together. Swoon.