Here we are, on the edge of saying goodbye to another year. 2019 was a year. Politicswise, it was utter hell. Healthwise, it was okay. Lifewise, it was pretty damn busy. So blogwise, it was slow.
I started the year strong. I began a series of blog posts dedicated to finding my new post illness normal. I got a part-time job. I turned 46 and got my very first tattoo.
At some point after that the train sort of came off the track. I was overwhelmed with life. I was tired all the time, my mood plummeted. My creativity was all but gone.
With the help of my doctor I figured out I was knocking on menopause’s door. I am a woman of a certain age, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise. It was jarring, though. It shook me.
The stark realization that I was beginning the next phase of life flipped a switch in my brain. Instead of being sad about getting older, I decided to let that be the flame lit under my middle aged ass that got me to take my time more seriously. Life has been much smoother since then.
I’m ending the year without a job. I decided that I couldn’t do it all, even when some of it was part-time. I’m taking more time for myself in the form of hikes, downtime, and writing. That decision paid off because, after a very dry year submissionwise, I finally got an original post published at Sammiches and Psych Meds.
I took the words of my friend and fellow blogger, Lorna, to heart. I decided to write. Blogging is a long game. Submissions are a numbers game. The only way to get through is to write, often and well. Well, as well as you can. And the more you write, the better you get. The better you get, the more you write.
That’s where you will find me in 2020. I’ll be writing because I am, after all, a writer. And I’ll be submitting and taking rejections as a badge of honor, as the next step toward getting better. But before we get to 2020, you might be so inclined to read my most read of 2019, most of which were not written in 2019.
I told you blogging was a long game. I’m finally in the internet search queue after all this time. Google searches are now the number one way people find me. And these ten posts are the ones they found the most:
- A South Floridian’s Guide To Moving North
- When A Predator Is Your Friend
- Why Would Anyone Live In Florida?
- My Menopause Bucket List
- What I Really Think When You Tell Me You Want to Start a Blog
- Facebook Unfriending, The Easy Way
- I Need You To Stop Trying To ‘Help’ Me
- Out of Nowhere
- There Will Be Marks
- I Really Hope You Enjoy This
As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading the words I put my heart into. Some of you are the sole reasons why I kept going through this year and why I’m heading into 2020 with a renewed focus on moving forward.
Happy New Year, people. You’re the best.
I love you, your sarcasm and wit, and raw honesty. Keep doing you!!!
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I love you too. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that I can’t be anyone other than who I am.
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Happy almost 2020! I’m thrilled for your publication success and for your quitting your part-time gig to concentrate more on living (and blogging). I’m always happy to read your words!
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Thank you so much! ❤️
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You are unique, funny & fabulous! Merry Xmas, Happy New Year, etc. etc. Keep on taking care of you, and all else will fall pretty much into place. High five, let’s hear it for the late 40s! And menopause! Yay! Freedom awaits. 😉
And BTW – I hope you’ll write a memoir one day. OK? This blog is a warm-up for it! ❤
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Thank you! 😘
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Congrats on your publications! I have a whole sash of rejection badges, but I keep on writing–you know what they say: for every twenty submissions, you might get one acceptance, so keep on hitting that Send button!
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You are a brilliant writer. Keep on keeping on.
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Thank you—the feeling is mutual!
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[…] last page off the calendar and starting anew. I’ve seen a bunch of my blogging friends (like SickChristine) doing recaps of their posts, and planned to jump in myself, but hadn’t quite gotten around […]
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Happy New Year and congratulations on being published!
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I wish you a happier 2020. I think taking a step back from work is the right thing to do. Mental health is so important.
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Well done on taking a break from some things as it can and often does get all too overwhelming. It’s also good you looked for help in that regard. All the best for your 2020 aspirations, you are a talented writer!
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