Thank you Blogging Friends

Just to celebrate the fact that Derval is back being a regular contributor with her new daily blog I would like to thank you all for sharing your blogs. When I started blogging six years ago it was all my daughter's idea. She thought it would be good for me to have an outlet to express myself in English my native tongue.
I joined this group thanks to a friend from my creative writing group and I really enjoy reading all your blogs.
It is difficult to find time to read everyone's so I decided to concentrate on just a few, Derval, Val Poore, Tanya, Peter Barnet, Jane Risdon, Stephanie and Carol Hedges, Donnalane.but I often read the others too and you are all very talented.

Derval's new blog got me thinking. It is so witty and written in a constant vivacious style. We were used to all the wonderful music reviews which opened up a whole world of Scandinavian music for me, but this new blog is more personal and intimate.

When I first started blogging my cousin was horrified, 'Why on earth do you want to bare yourself like this?' She saw it as laying myself open to criticism and was worried that I would get hurt. In my early days of blogging I often wrote about my childhood and family and all the things I love best, poetry, recipes, the changing seasons, music, and then I went on to writing short stories that would somehow serve as life lessons to my children, make them laugh and affirm the values that I believe in.

I mentioned to a friend's son that I really enjoy seeing his photos on Facebook and Instagram, mainly his children and his sporting events. I saw the hesitation in his face and he asked me if it seemed like he was showing off. I reassured him that no, not at all. I see it as a generosity that he is sharing his happiness and long may it last. How much it brightens my day to see a photo of a beautiful sunset, read about someone's journey to New Zealand, their walk on the Santiago di Compostela trail, their inspirational sayings to encourage and lift up the spirits.

The purpose of this post is to thank you all for sharing and inspiring and spreading positive thoughts and views and it's really good to know you're there.