New Beginnings

I have toyed with the idea of having my “own” blog for years. I’ve written blogs for other websites (Piedmont Parent and Carolina Gardener) and other people (ghostwriting, shh!), but I’ve never struck out on my own. Every time I think about doing it I get petrified with fear and stop. Fear that I won’t have anything to write about. Fear that I won’t have a good premise and be able to stay on topic. Fear that my friends will get tired of me promoting my own blog and never read it, and I will never work up to having “followers.”

But spring is here, my azaleas are starting to bloom, perennials are popping up and the vegetable garden is tilled and waiting to be planted. And my fingers are itching to write about it. I find I have an urge to share, and want to share with others who have similar interest. So it seemed somewhat fitting to start my blog at the same time as the garden begins to bud out.

Among all of the things that have inspired me to start this blog, the real impetus was this little girl.

She sat at the foot of my grandmother’s back steps for as long as I can remember. And when Grandma moved to a retirement home, the little girl moved with her. Grandma took care of her, keeping her black paint fresh year after year. I don’t really know why she was special to Grandma, but for some reason she was. Last December, my grandmother passed away. A few weeks before her death when we were cleaning out her apartment, someone asked who was taking the little girl. No one spoke up. But I knew where she belonged. With me, where I could take care of her and provide her a home in a garden filled with flowers, some of which even came from my grandmother’s garden.

Today she sits surrounded by columbine, started from seeds that my mother-in-law gave me when we first moved to this house. Next month I might move her to a new place. But wherever she is, she will be surrounded by beauty, and will be happy.

Every day, I am struck by something beautiful in this world, and it seems a shame not to share it. So here I am, setting up a forum to share. You will find musings on parenthood, the ups and downs of freelance work, the struggles and rewards of working from home, and the adventures of being part of a blended family. And through it all, the beauty of a full life bursts through, bringing a peaceful calm at the end of each day. Maybe what Grandma saw in that girl was a face that reminded her of that calm. Or maybe she just liked her hair. Whatever it was, she’s starting to speak to me. And I have to thank her for getting this blog started.