9/26/11

Winds of change - a letter to my readers


Dear readers of my blog,

This is, indeed a long letter. And I hope you'll read the whole dang thing. But if the implications of the picture above cause you to skip down first, please pop back up and read the whole dang thing later. ;-)

I was thinking recently about what it's like to follow a blogger who goes through a life change. It might be that I initially bonded with a blog over fun fashions or book reviews or naughty desserts or a sense of humor, and then... and then... something in their life changes. They lose their sense of humor. They decide to go gluten and sugar-free and drink only green smoothies. They decide to go minimalist or stop shaving. They decide to take their blog in a whole new direction. Maybe it's something circumstantial -they're having a baby or getting married or divorced or starting a new business.

Sometimes I feel a sense of excitement, wondering what new chapters this will reveal. Other times I feel a sense of loss, the blog I loved has changed. With some bloggers I'm so attached to their voice, that I stay through the change. With others, I find, that as my life moment and interests do not align, the bond begins to fade. It's funny how this happens. It happens IRL (in real life) relationships too. At times in the past I've felt angry about it - like "why did this person have to go and change their life and now we're going to drift apart!" I've also felt guilty about it, for letting circumstances change things.

But there are things I've come to see about relationships - women's in particular. We're a bit like cows -- herding together, wanting to be around other women exactly like us or in the same phase of life --  the same age, both young marrieds or young mothers or old mothers, or vegans or divorcees or whatnot. And with this mentality, other possibilities for deeper connections beyond surface commonality are often missed.

And yet, there is something to those shared phases. When we are planning a wedding, we long to talk cakes and flowers. When we are having a baby, we want to compare notes on nausea and nurseries. These things are natural too and perhaps we shouldn't feel so guilty at our own nature, our own need to be immersed in the moment.

So I've come to see that not all friendships (or blogships) are "forevah, forevah, evah" to quote the song Sorry Miss Jackson. Some are temporary, circumstantial, passing through, good while they lasted. And I think sometimes that's okay. We are not obliged to stay the same and neither is anyone else. But neither do circumstances have to be the dividing line of friendships. Some friendships transcend change.

These are all things I was mulling on, only days before I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to have a positive pregnancy test a little over two months ago and realize I was facing a significant change of my own.

Yes. This is it. I am pregnito. That's a little bit pregnant, for those of you not up with the slang. (I am not however, pregnant with twins as the above photo might seem to indicate.) And hopefully being pregnito may explain to you my disappearances and awkwardness on this blog. I wasn't ready to share the news yet and I found myself often unable to say what was most on my mind.

So, talk about change. Change in so many ways --  to have my heart and my mind suddenly change directions, to have this new thing step in and demand space and attention and other things take the back seat.

I have no doubt this change will make itself manifest on my little online playground otherwise known as a blog. At this moment I have no plans to start reviewing nursing bras or debating the Bradley method or whatnot, but I am unsure what this will mean. I'm a bit afraid to lose myself in motherhood (but that is a topic for another post and another day) and I want to stay, fully and richly, myself: the philosopher, the dreamer (and the writer too). And yet motherhood seems to demand a full surrender (haha). And as this is part of my life experience going forward, it will be part of my life here too.

As someone who has long desired motherhood, on my blog I've written (at times very obliquely) about my experience with what I call maybe motherhood - the in between, the unknown, the waiting, the possibility for disappointment.So  I'm sensitive in this area and I share my news with mixed feelings.

I am joyful and grateful, but even as I experience my own joy, I know not every woman experiences this. I can't explain or justify why I've received this blessing, just like I can't explain or justify so many other experiences of good and bad in the world. But there are things I do know. I know how wonderful all the women are I've known - wonderful women in and of themselves, regardless of reproductive status!

If you're in the "maybe motherhood", or even "definitely not motherhood" -- know that I care about you, that I see and acknowledge your experience, your reality, your heart, your struggle, your validity as a worthy, amazing human being. And you're not alone out there! There are many women from many walks of life - some of them mothers - with empathetic hearts and deep, wise souls - who know what it's like to sorrow, struggle, or have a life that strays off the "normal" well-beaten path. We are always less alone than we think.

Most of all, the message I want to convey is that I believe in you, and all of us ladies -- in our ability to live life to the fullest, to not squander the gift of life that's been given to us, to create and enjoy an intensely beautiful, good life no matter what may happen.

And so a new chapter begins. I hope that those of you who enjoy reading me for my voice, my essence, will stick around to see what happens! Even if I do starting writing about baby blankets, chubby cheeks or whatnot.

Yours truly,
Valerie

21 comments:

  1. Congrats on the news! I imagine the blog will change but it will change in interesting ways. Our life changes make our life rich and interesting.

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  2. CONGRATULATIONS!! This is such exciting news! I loved the letter and appreciate what you had to say! thanks! I am interested to see the future posts :)

    Good Luck!
    Abigail

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  3. CONGRATS!!!! So very happy for you!

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  4. OMG - CONGRATULATIONS!!! So excited for you, and will definitely keep reading!

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  5. OH MY GOODNESS YAY! what an incredible journey you are on. I say surrender to ALL of it and indulge in where you are. what a beautiful story. so happy for you. :-)

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  6. Wow, you explained lots of things I've needed to understand...I want my good old friends to stay that way...but they haven't.
    You are going to have a blast! Rest up for the ride :) Congratulations!!!

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  7. Oh, Valerie! I am so, so happy for you! Love! And Congratulations! ~Debbi

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  8. Oh, that are really, really good news!! Especially as I know how long you waited for it! Congratulations!! So there is hope for me as well ;-) Actually my husband and I are applying for adoption at the moment - an exciting life period as well, but little bit different then a pregnancy! Hugs! Eri

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  9. I am happy to hear your news.

    Just so you know where my voice comes from; I posed for a picture last week. I was with my son, his daughter and her daughter. Life changes are the adventure.

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  10. I am so genuinely thrilled to hear your news. Your writing about 'maybe motherhood' has inspired, supported and encouraged me along my journey. It validated my feelings. Now your new journey gives me hope and I will be here, reading along, the rest of the way :) x

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  11. The smile still hasn't left me. Enjoy every moment...just as you were doing before...that won't change. No matter the journey, the tales of your travels may inspire, make us cry, make us laugh, be too private to share...just think of your blog as the road that may or may not be used...as sometimes you'll not want to use the road, you'd rather be in the air or on a boat.

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  12. Such a beautiful letter. So proud of you for outing yourself - I understand what a huge leap of faith it is. Thrilled to be along for this phase of your life!

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  13. So happy for you! I don't comment much, but I've been following your journey, so I celebrate with you over this fantastic news:) Don't worry about getting sucked into motherhood and losing yourself in the process. It's been my experience that motherhood has taught me more about who I truly am than any other life experience. The good, the bad and the ugly;)

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  14. Thanks everyone for the congratulations and the insights you have to share! We're all in different places but continue to inspire and connect and I love that. Thank you!

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  15. Many congratulations to you. Motherhood is a wonderful chapter to those of us fortunate to have experienced it.

    Yes, you will change as many will tell you. Your whole perspective to life, the universe and everything will change. It's not just because of your changing hormones but because you will bring forth new life into this crazy world we all live in. What you once accepted without hesitation you will start to question.

    Sorry, I'm rambling ... it sounds like it's bad but it's not. It's all good, parenthood, on the whole, makes us better people.

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  16. Congrats! So happy for you. Best wishes to you, your husband and the mini-bohemian!

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  17. SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!! Yes, I am shouting and smiling at you, blog-friend, from afar! A full surrender? Yes, I'd say so--but a wonderful one that will change you forever and make you an even better version of yourself. I've been doing this attachment-parenting thing for over 16 years now, and I wouldn't change a thing. Oh, and I will happily stick around here no matter how much you ramble about chubby cheeks and nursing bras!

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  18. Wow that's fantastic news...so pleased for you both....x

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  19. A wonderful post all around, V! Just know that you still have a friend who's interested to hear all about the wonders of pregnancy and motherhood and books, and travel, and fingernail polish, etc. I'm here for the baby talk and the adult talk, and everything in between. You are an inspiration to me in all that you do, and I am here for you in any way you need :)

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  20. Yay!!!! Congratulations, Valerie!!! :)

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