Running Chatter: Two Years

Saturday evening I was sitting next to an under the weather Chanelle at our breakfast bar.  The living room was littered with books, crayons, markers, coloring books, a dirty diaper, Meadow’s half finished bottle, and other miscellaneous toys that we use in an attempt to entertain Meadow.  Chanelle had spent most of the day on the couch with a fever while I split my day between the cool air conditioned house and the sweltering 99 degree heat outside.  Chanelle and I were finishing up our gourmet meal that consisted of cottage cheese while Chad was feeding Meadow pureed peaches and carrots and feeding himself leftover chicken.  (Martha Stewart would be so disappointed in me.)  What can I say, it was Saturday and it was hot. . . who wants to cook?  Charlie was at the neighbors house doing his I’m too cool to hang with Mom and Dad thing. 

We had canceled plans with friends due to our sick little one and were gearing up for winding down when there was a knock at the door.  Chanelle suddenly perked up and raced to the door and I followed close behind.  She opened the door and when I saw the person standing there I paused and did a double take.  You know when you know you know someone but you know they are not supposed to be standing on your front porch so you think you must be wrong about who the person is?  (Did you get that?) Well, I wasn’t wrong.  On my front porch stood a friend from college that I had not seen in over ten years. Turns out she was passing through and looked us up and took a chance that we might be home.   

We sat in the living room and did a crash course of “catch up” before she had to leave for her next destination.  It was a short visit, but one that filled my cup of joy to overflowing.  As we watched her car drive away I repeated to Chad over and over. . . that was so cool. 

Two years ago yesterday I wrote this post and began this endeavor into the blogosphere.  Unaware of what it would turn into or if I would even be able to maintain it I waded into the water cautiously, fearful of stepping out from safe shores where I’d spent most of my life.  I still remember the way my heart pounded seemingly out of my chest that day and how my hands visibly shook as I hit that very first “Publish Post” button.  I remember asking Chad over and over again are you sure I should do this? Am I crazy?  I remember the first several months requiring that Chad read all of my posts prior to publishing, certain that I would be making a fool of myself if I wrote this or said that. 

Somehow, though, as the months went by and I began to wade deeper and deeper into the unknown I found that leaving the shore wasn’t as scary as I had thought.  If fact, I found that there is so much life to be experienced and beauty to discover. 

As I watched my friend (who visits this space) drive away Saturday night I couldn’t help but wonder. . . would that have happened if I had never pushed that first “Publish Post” button?

It probably seems crazy to say that a blog can change a life. . . but truly, it has. Coming here has changed me.  More specifically, this community has changed me.  I have been forever changed by the acceptance, love and comradery that I have been met with as my heart trickled out through the keystrokes on my keyboard. I won’t bore you today with the details of “then and now”, but hear me when I say, I have been changed. 

Today, I just wanted to take a moment to thank each of you who take the time to visit here.  Whether openly or anonymously or vocally or silently. . . I am humbled and honored whenever someone visits my tiny corner of the world wide web.  If I could stretch my arms out across cyber space and offer each of you a hug, I would (though that might be strange) . . . so I hope that my words will be enough.  Thank you for encouraging, cheering, understanding, and accepting the sometimes crazy, sometimes overly analyzed, sometimes ultra sensitive words of Running Chatter. 

Two years ago I never could have imagined that I would be so incredibly blessed by this whole process.

I can’t help but wonder what Running Chatter will be in two years.  Will it still be here?  How will the world be different?  How might our family be different?  My motto with this has always been one day at a time.  For today, I just want to thank this community for accepting my Chatter in all it’s various forms. . . you truly have made me better. . .