A year of blogging..

Hello!

This post is not about Adith, but about me and the origin of this blog

Like most people, I used to read food blogs and personal blogs at times.  A food recipe from a blog is unlike one from a magazine because it has a lot more life to it. Rather than the recipe itself, it would be the blogger’s presentation that make us visit it a second time. During those days, I never thought I would be writing a blog myself one day…but then life has a way of making us do things that we never imagined. Some thoughts as I look back on this past year of blogging..

1. Take that first step.
   By the middle of 2015, I had strong feelings about writing a book or a blog about bringing up Adith. I came across some parent blogs on the AG Bell website (something which I had been yearning to read from the very beginning of our diagnosis) and it was wonderful to know how other parents dealt with a similar situation. That gave me a lot of insights on bringing up a HoH child and I thought we could share our story as well. Every child has a different story and what makes ours unique is that it is about a child born in India but raised in the US. But I was heavily weighed down by feelings of doubt-I wondered who would read a blog about bringing up a hard of hearing child when there are hundreds of thousands of options to spend our valuable time. We live in an era where everyone has smart phones and there is no dearth for choice!  Why would anyone want to read my story over something else? It is indeed a huge step when you think about it. But then, I had nothing at stake. Loveson also felt it to be a good idea and immediately started researching on the technical aspects. Though I had intended “just another blog” on WordPress, Loveson insisted that we have a website of our own and thus ‘autumndelight.com’ was born.
2. Initial response
    I sent the first drafts to my sister Preetha and she felt they were good. She also noted that I should write about the challenges we faced here – our dilemma about speaking 2 languages etc. that might help others in a similar situation. In the days that followed, it was made known to family and close friends. 4 months later, I mentioned about this blog in my FaceBook timeline. Less than a minute after I introduced the blog on my timeline, it was shared by my B-tech friend whom I had barely spoken to, in those 4 years! I was really blown away! Many of my friends shared it with a personal note as well. What really amazed me was that people who barely made their presence known in Facebook congratulated me and wished me luck! Some of my old friends sent me personal messages. I realized that even though we have not talked in ages, my friends were there for me when I needed a thumbs up. It was  indeed over whelming!
3. The days that passed..
   There is no greater joy than the joy of acceptance. I am happy that there are a handful of people who keep me going and cheer on me. Some of my cousins share my posts and it amazes me! I do put in a lot of effort to make it as engaging as possible –  some posts are written over weeks and revised 30 plus times. I stay rooted with the thought that ‘if someone is spending their time for me, it better be something of worth’. Thank you for reading, for commenting and for sharing. I do value it to the core. My mother often leaves comments which are as long as the posts themselves, lol! Thanks Amma!
4. More than a blog
   Staying at home as a home maker  after working more than 9 hours a day for five years was really, really hard. Though my sister who walked the same path ahead of me had warned me about the emptiness and encouraged me to pick up a hobby to engage myself, it did not happen. It has had its toll on me and maybe still has, but thankfully this blog happened. It has opened up my small world and brings out a part of me that otherwise would have stayed buried. I am glad I took this step and strongly encourage everyone, especially home makers to pick up a hobby! It is quite rewarding in itself and as for me, I began to see people whom I have known all my life in a different light. Writing makes connections in unusual ways.
5. The power of appreciation
   It is only when you embark on something other than the usual, that you realize the power of  appreciation. I have received so much love and appreciation for this blog and it is absolutely delightful. However, I am also mindful that things change as life goes on.  I have seen blogs that have been around well over 6 years with barely any comments and I wonder ‘ how do they do it? it should be so hard to keep going without a positive reinforcement’. I guess that is what is called ‘grit’. The courage to move forward through sheer self motivation. It is hard but no one said this was going to be an easy journey. When I sent the draft of my first post to my sister Preetha a year back, she replied “this would be one of the best things in your life” and I dare say she was right!

Thank you once again!

Diya