Riding off into the Sunset

I never like to be one to be wishy washy, and usually when I make a decision I go with it.  Which is why I now need to tell you that my decision to come out of retirement was a mistake.  My posting last week was based on emotion.  Perhaps saying I was finished blogging made me miss blogging if just for a moment.  Various posts about the ALI community and the drop off of those who are pregnant or parenting also made me feel as though I wanted to add to the conversation.  

But as I analyzed the “why” I was going to blog again, the benefits and reasons to not blogging outweighed (for me) the reasons to blog.  I just don’t have the time.  I want to be present in my son’s and husband’s lives.  And when I came back to thinking about blogging, I had blog posts running through my head and I kept wanting to come check my blog and see if anyone had stopped by, etc.  To everything, there is a time and a season, and right now, I am focusing on real life efforts of homemaking, mothering, and enjoying every busy and quiet moment I am given.  Those quiet moments are few and far between, and there are so many other things I want to do with my time in those quiet moments. 

I began my blog because as stated recently, I was struggling to find joy in the daily moments of my life because I didn't want the pain and anguish of IF to derail me in my efforts to be happy.  My husband and I were moving towards the path of adoption, and I wanted and knew that my heart needed to heal.  My faith was fragile, my outlook jaded, and I was tired of feeling that way.  This blog and all of you who followed me in my journey helped me in my efforts and desires to find joy.  I am so appreciative to all of you for your kind words and helping me feel that I was not alone.  So you might think I am turning my back on the ALI community by leaving my blog behind, but I don’t think I am. 

Because I am not blogging doesn’t mean I am not thinking about you who are still in the trenches.  I can still stop by your blogs, cheer you on, add some words of comfort, or share a joke or two.  

So as this blog rides off into the sunset I thought I would share one final quote that I recently heard that I liked—

“Our impact is less likely to emanate from the pulpit—more often it will occur in one-to-one relationships, or in small groups where we can have an impact on an individual.”  (Neal A Maxwell)  All of you who took time to read and comment on my blog have impacted and helped me.  Thank you.

“The only person you need to compare yourself to is the one you were before”  (just saw this quote on FB, don’t know where it came from)  It is so easy to compare ourselves and our circumstances to others who have different strengths and weaknesses rather than just comparing ourselves to ourselves and seeing how much progress we have made. 

One of the first posts I wrote included a picture of a sunrise, so I think it is fitting that as I thought about this post, the view of a sunset came to mind.  We start this journey of being parents with the excitement and beauty of a sunrise, only to find ourselves in the middle of a miserable day that seems like it will never end.  But then all of a sudden, the most amazing sunset appears on the horizon and we realize all is well, and that the difficulties we went through were worth it because we got to experience and see this amazing site.  Eventually the day ends and we have a new day, a new opportunity to tackle different problems and experience new joyful moments.  That is how I feel at this time about this blog and the IF chapter in my life.  It was a day, a beautiful and difficult day, but one that ended with a sunset and vista more amazing than I could ever have imagined.