Dear Readers

Yeah, yeah you. I wanted to say thank you. I know a lot of bloggers have had their turn with the "what do I do with this hurtful anonymous comment?" Well, my turn is "what do I do with this hurtful not anonymous comment...from someone I see at every family function?" I'm also 90% confident this is why people don't share their blogs with their families.
Basically, there were two hurtful parts to the comment I received:  1) I have a dishwasher to unload and laundry to do, I don't have time for your blog.  Your readers obviously don't have to balance a job, bills, housework and two kids.  2) If you share it with strangers, it must not be that important.  So no, I don't feel guilty about not reading it. 
Alright. Here we go. 
I know life is busy, and stressful. That is why I can genuinely say, thank you for stopping by every damn day. There are 20,000 other things you could be doing with your time--I know that! That's why, out of all the things you could be doing, the fact that you take time to read my silliness every day HUMBLES me every damn day. You have all of the options, and you picked The Unreal Life. So THANK YOU. 
This blog is important to me and what I share is important to me. Right now, it seems there is a lot going around about how bloggers need to chill the eff out and put themselves back in perspective. I don't really feel 100% in agreeance with that. This blog is important to me, so I will continue to put my time into it. For myself, because I absolutely 100% love writing and have so much fun figuring out new and (hopefully) creative posts. And for you, because you do have 20,000 choices and you should be able to click with confidence knowing your minute, two minutes, three minutes isn't going to be wasted.
I love this place. This place has given me confidence in a way I didn't expect. I was bouncing up the stairs the other day and I was like "Why am I so happy?" Blogging. I'll say it. No shame. I love this zany world of writers and readers and GIF monsters. I am proud to be part of a group of women who have such a vast array of experiences and stories and talents and skills that they bring to my view every day. 
I've been writing for a long time. A long, long time. I have notebooks filled with pencil scratch stories since I was old enough for my parents to cram me into a car and drive Up North for two hours every weekend. But my stories are serious, unlike my life. When I tell stories in person, they're a lot like...well, like this blog. They're funny and zany and just about the everyday "wait...what?" moments. I knew people liked my short stories. But I didn't know if people would like my comedic stories. It's a hard jump. Literally, every time I hit publish and someone responds with "That's hilarious!" I fly out of my seat. I can't believe it. 
So. Thank you. For giving me a place to do what I love. To write. To share. To interact. And from my father, a big thank you because he was getting really creeped out by my dating disaster stories which, while funny, are also heart-attack inducing for a father. 
Honestly. You stop by every day. And I couldn't be more grateful. 
(Oh and THANK YOU to J Whitney Nic, our #bloggerproblemz link up giveaway winner. I had the absolute best time working with Blair's Head Band on that project, and loved seeing all your #bloggerproblemz comments!)