Thoughts on why I blog

Talking to my brother D last night, I realised that I'd lost track of why I'd wanted to blog in the first place. It was a way of keeping in touch with my overseas family (hi E & T) and also as a record of what I've been up to. I'd never thought it would be a place where people come to discuss politics or to straighten themselves out, it was just for me to blither in and for friends and family to read as they felt like.

Reading other peoples' blogs is always inspiring for how well they write, for what they're achieving in their lives and for how much they're prepared to open themselves up to complete strangers. That really isn't me. I've always been a very private person and even putting up photos can be a bit of an effort for me.

But I have changed over this last year. I've realised that by my not sharing my life with my friends and family I've kept everyone at bay. Someone I met recently said that the secret to making new friendships and expanding the ones you have, is to share yourself and allow them to share themselves. A very simple equation. If the equation is out of balance in any one direction, then the friendship really doesn't develop.

It can be very scary to open up to someone you don't know very well but I can see, from my experiences over the past year, that anyone I want to share my life with is someone that will honour what I'm saying. They may not agree with it but that doesn't matter. Listening and being listened to is what friends and family are for. Knowing that they understand and accept me with all my foibles and that I understand and accept them, makes the relationship stronger, not weaker.

Thank goodness for all my friends and family.