The Real Reason Why I Blog

Dear Reader,

I have given a lot of thought about why I blog. When I first started blogging my purpose was to document my memories of raising my children (quadruplets) for my children. As I continued to blog I found myself blogging more about what was going on in my present day life. As my posts continued to be about my life now I created a new blog, and abandoned  the blog I began about my memories of raising quadruplets.

I continued to read that one must clearly have a purpose for their blog, and I found that I continued to think about my purpose. I  thought and prayed about it, and I came to the real reason why I blog.

Yes, like the subtitle to my blog says, I do share what makes my heart leap for joy. I  do write with the intention of uplifting my readers and adding a little joy to your lives. However, there is another reason, the real reason, that I choose to blog.

My mother died from breast cancer when I was 8 years old. I hardly knew her. Her parents had both passed away before I was born. My dad passed away when I was 28 years old. His parents had both passed away before I was born. I did not know my grandparents at all, and I remember very little about my mother. I am abundantly grateful that I knew my dad.

When my children were young I kept journals and diaries. I wanted to be sure that if anything ever happened to me (as morbid as that sounds) they would know me, and they would know how much I loved them. Now, my children are 24, and I am quite confident they know me, and they know how much I love them.  So now I write for the purpose that my grandchildren will know me, and my great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren and so on. I believe that if they can get an understanding of who I am through my diaries, journals and my blog, they might have a  better understanding of where they came from and why they are who they are.

In the book Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss  by Hope Edelman I read the words, "I am who I am because my mother died."  Fifteen years ago, when I first read those words, I was not convinced. However, now, at the age of 54, I understand that statement. I am who I am because my mother died when I was 8 years old, and I am a blogger because my mother died when I was 8 years old.

Love,
Terry
Mom
Grandma
Great-Grandma