300th Post!

This is my 300th blog post.  The 300th time in the last 2 1/2 years that I have hit that orange publish button.  The 300th time I have shared lessons learned, favorite quotes, questions, struggles, successes, laughs and tears.

As I sat with my laptop and cup of coffee I tried to write a post about a lesson I learned recently.  But it just didn't feel right.  Does that ever happen to you?  You get done and it just feels off.  Incomplete even though every i was dotted, every t crossed, every sentence ended with a punctuation mark.

So instead I took time to look back over the past 299 posts, here is some of what I found:

My First Post, Things Can Wait, January 28th 2010:  No matter when you may stumble across this blog, I encourage you to think about that thing that makes you stop and appreciate the world around you. What makes you stop and smell the roses so to speak. I have several that I can think of: the sunset, seeing stars in the night sky when I am out of the city and lilies.  Remember things can wait, the sunset won't!

My First Book Review, Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God, February 20th 2010: My copy of the book is filled with underlines and notes because I could so closely relate with what I was reading. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book not only to women who are struggling with their faith, but those whose relationship is strong. Sheila Walsh's book reinforces that "Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God."

My First Wordy Wednesday, February 24th 2010, Never Burn a Bridge: Never burn a bridge. Just shut it down for renovations for a while.  -Author Unknown

My First Happy List Entry, March 4th 2010, Happy: Making a list of 101 things that make me happy is on my list of 101 in 1001. So I am going to try to not tackle it all at once, that might be a wee bit overwhelming. Here are my happy things:

1. Coloring with kids. I love how they can see an elaborate house or animal in oftentimes illegible scribbles to adults. Their excitement makes me happy.

One of my most commented on posts, October 4th 2012, Sharing Pockets:Pockets.  We all have them.  Some are shallow pockets.  Right out front.  Ones that are easy for people to see.  It's where we keep the little things.  Maybe a tub of chapstick, some loose change, a bobby-pin.  There are medium pockets.  Tucked into the sides of a shirt or the front of a favorite pair of jeans.  It's for our cell phones or iPods, where we keep that extra $20.  

But then there are those deep pockets.  That spot that holds a picture of a loved one, our ID, maybe a small token that means a lot.  It's a pocket that doesn't often get shared.  It's hidden in the lining of a jacket, deep inside a purse or briefcase.  It's ours.  It's safe.  It's secure.

One of the most viewed posts, January 25th 2011, World Will Not Crumble: The world will not crumble.  I will recharge.  I will be able to do more and do it better.  And do it without wearing myself out in the process.

Six of the posts I'm most proud of:

Lego Box of Life (June 14th 2010)

When it Rains (January 22nd 2011)

The Scars We Choose (May 28th 2010)

Grief Can Be Transformed, Joy Does Exist in Unexpected Places (Nov. 5th 2011)

Wearing Makeup (August 14th 2011)

A Tug of War (February 13th 2012)

Two of my favorite posts:

Happily Ever After or Just Ever After (April 20th 2010)

I Believe I Do Believe (May 14th 2010)

My Most Recent Birthday Wishes Post, June 2nd 2012, 25 Wishes: My twenty-first wish is for understanding on a global scale.  World peace is a wish I've heard people share, but I think that's a tall order.  So before there is peace, may we learn to understand one another.  Understand each others faith/religions, lifestyles, ethnicities, eccentricities.  May the people of the world realize that we are far more common than we realize.  May we allow those commonalities to bring us together rather than allow our differences to tear us apart.   

There are so many more posts I could comment on, highlight or mention.  So many that I poured so much into.  Sometimes as we move forward in life, it's fun to take a minute to look back.  Not to dwell on, but just to visit for a few minutes.

Thank you to those of you who read these words that I write.  Thank you to those who take the time to comment, share your thoughts or inspirations.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Life is busy, it's fast paced.  There is so much to do in what seems to be so little time.

Remember there are many things in life that can wait.  But The Sunset Won't!