Without a doubt, the best part of Blissdom for me was that I left with a sense of purpose. For the most part, there's no one in my day-to-day life that has any desire to talk about my blog. They don't know what Twitter is and I'm sure they don't understand the drive I have to regularly discuss my life with strangers. At least one person laughed out loud when I told them I'd spent the weekend at a blogging conference.
Blissdom was the polar opposite of that. I talked and talked and talked and somewhere in the middle of all that, I realized what I'm doing here and better yet, what I want to do here.
Please bear with me as the sappiness factor is about blow sky-high.
I believe that my life is good--not perfect--but good. I believe that the problem with disabilities isn't the disability, but the rest of the world--a world that doesn't see the good and the beauty in difference. A world that isn't ready to embrace the unfamiliar. I'm not interested in a pity-party. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I have crappy days, but I had those before Charlie and I'd have them if his brain had never bled and his heart had never failed.
I want this place, this space to be a resource--a place of inspiration, a place to learn a little something, a place of encouragement.
My first two years of college I lived in a dorm. On any given day, you could take a stroll and find someone else who was worried about their classes, who had relationship problems, or maybe just someone to go to the cafeteria with you. I remember staying up late, talking in the hallways and stairways about whatever was on my mind at the time.
I want this blog to be like that dorm. If only five people read it, then that's fine. I'm not blogging for money or recognition--I'm blogging for community. Blissdom made that clear for me and also made me realize that it's OK to be that kind of blogger. I can't be anyone else no matter how hard I try--I can only be me.
So here it is, my mission: I want live joyfully. I want to encourage others to do the same. I want to help other special needs mothers enjoy their children and maximize their potential.
Who's with me?
Me and my doppelganger at Blissdom. I was trying to avoid her, but Ellen insisted we take a picture together.
