Blogging with Friends

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Writers thrive on the love and support they get from their readers. I know I do. The hardest part about writing a post for me is hitting the “publish” button. Each time I do it, I’m putting my voice and my life experiences out there for everyone to see. Sometimes it’s to make you think and other times to make you laugh, but mostly to let you know that you aren’t alone. So, it means the world to me when you comment or tell me that something I wrote was meaningful to you. I thank you for that on this 25th day of the blog challenge.

(What blog challenge, you say? Keep reading to learn more).

There is a particular group of readers who have inspired me this month. They are fellow bloggers taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge (UBC). For those of you that don’t know, UBC is a Facebook group of writers that are posting along with me for 31 days in January. The feedback they offer is priceless. It builds up my confidence as a writer to hear from them because I think they are all better writers than me. Not that it’s a competition. I’m just proud to be a member of this online community.

Picking a favorite blog in this group is like picking a favorite child. It’s impossible. But, if you’d like to give a little blog love to some UBC members, here are a few you can check out.

One thousand and two – This blog-written by Lily- is so much like me. I feel like if we ever met, we would have a lot to discuss. Her recent take on the topic of loneliness was so brave. It is an issue that I often think about in my own life but haven’t had the guts to share-yet. Thank you, Lily, for being so open and honest with your words.

Doggone Healthy Choices – We’ve had our dog, Chloe, for almost four years now, but I never had a dog growing up. Pamela’s blog is a fantastic resource for dog owners. I never feel like “I should have known that…” when reading her posts. She is all about helping us have healthy relationships with our dogs and taking good care of them.

Carrie Ann Trip – I learned quite a lot about the Christian faith from this blog. What strikes me is that even though I am a Jew, there are values that transcend all religions. Carrie Ann uses both scripture and real-life examples perfectly in order to illustrate her thoughts, and it has been a joy to read.

Cerebrations – Roy is a body of knowledge on a variety of topics. From tax advice to pop culture, you will surely find something here to your liking. His writing is a fantastic combination of sweet, salty and substantive. He also helps me be a better writer and find my way into the Twitter universe.

Lady In Read Writes – I love book blogs, and Vidya’s blog is always a wonderful place to find support for my book-buying habit. I never feel guilty about adding to my shelves because I know somewhere out there she is doing the same. I also had no idea what a review of a picture book would sound like. The thought process that goes into her reviews of these books are fascinating to me. Her non-book related posts also make me smile.

To the bloggers I didn’t list here, please know that I am cheering you on as well. From the business advice to the travel blogs, you have opened up new worlds to me. I am always looking forward to reading your next post.

In the words of Sylvia Path, “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”