Celebrating Three Years of Blogging and Beyond…

Back in 2017, before I published anything on Not So Mommy…, I spent several months researching blogging.  (I was a teacher, after all.)  Though I don’t remember everything I learned, I do remember one source in particular.  It cautioned against writing a personal blog about your life.  It said, in essence, that no one is that interesting—that others would not care to read about you.

Well, I started my blog anyway.

On 11 August 2017, I launched Not So Mommy…  I didn’t know much, but I knew three things for sure.

1. For at least one year, I was committed to putting 110% effort into blogging & sharing via social media.
2. I needed to share because I needed to help someone—even if it was just one.
3. My mom would read my blog, even if no one else did!

Three years later, I am humbly honored that you find my journey engaging enough to read.  And astounded at how large the Not So Mommy… community is…

But honestly, I think Not So Mommy… has resonated because this isn’t just my journey.

In July, while doing updates to the blogsite, Not So Mommy… encountered a “fatal error.”  Everything vanished.  I didn’t panic.  I waited for my hubby to get home and asked him to take a look, as he is much better at technology than I am.  Two hours later, he said he thought we were going to have to rebuild the entire site.  My mind went into overdrive thinking about what that would entail.  While I could reload the 275+ blogs, hundreds of images, 30+ pages, and 70+ resources, there was something I could not replace.  Over a thousand comments made by fabulous community members could not be recreated.  And this was heart-breaking.

Luckily, my tenacious husband figured out that my site backs-up automatically.  So, he was able to restore everything (including comments).  And I breathed a huge sigh of relief!

Fabulous ones, Not So Mommy… does not work without you.  So, as I’ve reflected on these past three years of blogging, I’ve thought a lot about our amazing community…

• Nearly 1,600 likes on Facebook
• Over 1,900 followers on Instagram
• More than 670 followers on Twitter
• Over 650 followers on Pinterest
• 1,051 comments on the blog
• More than 900 fabulous ones signed up to receive the monthly newsletter
• 7 who’ve offered encouragement and praise when they made a donation to help keep this site up & running
• 35 who’ve bravely shared their story with our community

Though I’m normally “good with words,” it is difficult for me to adequately express the validation, healing, and sense of worth that you, fabulous ones, have given me.  When I started Not So Mommy…, I thought that I had accepted, that I had healed.  But there was more grief work to be done, more changing perspective, accepting, embracing, and redefining to accomplish…

Just like when I started Not So Mommy…, I don’t know much, but I do know these three things for sure…  (And that’s saying a lot since it’s 2020! Ha!)

1. I am committed to putting forth 110% effort into blogging & more, sharing via social media & beyond…
2. I must continue to share, as I feel strongly that I need to be a voice for our infertility & childless not by choice communities—supporting, educating, and advocating.
3. You, fabulous ones, will continue to walk this journey with me. Even when you are silent, I know you are there.  And I am honored that you choose to be a part of the incredible Not So Mommy… community.

If anything I wrote resonates with you, fabulous one, please tell us about it in the comments.

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Featured Photo:  Created by me, using Canva