Another year blogging has come full circle. Number three.
What does it mean?
I had consistency throughout this continued time of COVID. Routines kept me a little saner. Publishing weekly marked time. I stayed productive.
Sharing my experience has been more valuable to me. I’ve touched on topics that I didn’t feel comfortable with a year ago. More cancery things have happened over the past year which aren’t fantastic developments. I’ve written about some of them.
I am more vulnerable than I used to be. Walls have their purposes in terms of safety and protection. I also need people who are supportive and empathetic. Sharing has risks. Am I oversharing? Will my breaking heart be acknowledged or scoffed at? Information can’t be unshared once it’s shared. Not everyone is going to understand me. I won’t understand everyone either. We do our best. Vulnerability can offer safety and protection when you are with your people.
I remember when I first started blogging. I was unsure how my blog would evolve. There was a general direction, but nothing concrete. Slowly, I became more deliberate with ideas and plotting out topics I wanted to cover. Now, I don’t have much of an outline for the coming year as I have had for others. It’s scary for me not to have a plan. I have a handful of drafts waiting for the right moment. I am much more aware of my experiences and wonder in the moment if I need to write about it and coax out something larger. Hopefully, the universe will continue to give me ideas.
I understand cancer is not fun to read about. Many people avoid it because metastatic life is just too depressing. Sickness, loss, sadness, anger, death. Try living with it. Humor is one of my strengths. If I can twist something awful into something that has elements of awfully funny, it helps me cope. I can’t wallow in depression all the time. Hope is another one of my strengths. Weaving humor and hope into my writing works for me because they both are part of my reality as I keep living with metastatic breast cancer.
What are my goals?
Three goals come to mind:
- Share more personal experiences and reflections.
- Reach more people and educate about MBC. More knowledge can ultimately support more fundraising and more research.
- Share my truth.
Have you missed these posts?
It’s in these annual posts where I usually provide links to posts I’ve found meaningful in one way or another from the past year. It’s a little shameless self promotion. Some contain medical updates. I love using metaphors and symbolism to convey ideas. I’ve been somewhat more daring in using humor in my writing. I don’t know whether anyone else finds my attempts as amusing as I do.
If you missed any of these, or would like to reread them again, please click on the provided links. Feel free to share!
Cancer and Unsuitable Clothing
Cancer Port Problems and Infections
Here are my questions for you:
What topics would you like to read more about in Year 4?
If you use WordPress, what theme do you use for your template and why?
How long have you been blogging? Do you mark a blogging anniversary? How?
Keep finding a way.
Always.
Finding A Way 
Congratulations on your 3-year blogaversary! I’m happy I started following you. You give good insights into what it’s like to live with MBC. I enjoy your humour and your willingness to be candid in the experience of what’s your reality. As far as what I’d like to see more of, I read whatever you post, Kristie, with interest and compassion.
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Terry, I am so glad we follow one another. There is always more to pull out of your photos. I thank you for your interest and compassion. Our world needs so more of that.
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I appreciate your posts. Even although it is a difficult subject to read about, your posts moving, informative, interesting and often humorous. Keep blogging!
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Thank you. We both write about tough content. I believe we grow and become more compassionate from what we take away from one another’s work. You keep blogging as well.
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Thank you! Yes, we all learn from each other.
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What topics would you like to read more about in Year 4?
I enjoy your personal musings as this life with MBC throws twists and turns your way. In reading your musings, we can all see and anticipate what is coming.
If you use WordPress, what theme do you use for your template and why?
I use WordPress and had no idea there were themes … now I need to explore options since I don’t even remember what I picked when I set it up!
How long have you been blogging? Do you mark a blogging anniversary? How?
I started with a caring bridge site soon after I was diagnosed in the spring of 2017 (stage IIb) and then summer of 2017 (actually de novo stage iv). Once I realized the site had its limitations, I shifted each of the posts over to WordPress in 2018/2019, so around 4 years blogging although it’s been in the last 2 years that I’ve done better at consistency. Learned a lot over this time from you and so many other bloggers!!
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The personal touch can be hard to convey with words. I’m getting better at it the more I write.
The themes are found under the appearance tab. I’m always tempted to mix things up a bit. Who better to ask than my fellow bloggers?
Abigail, I have learned so much from you. Learning from each other is the way it’s supposed to be. ❤️
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Hi Kristie,
Congrats on three years of consistent blogging! That is no small feat. It’s funny you mentioned the depressing thing because just last week, someone unsubscribed because she thought my writing was too depressing. So be it. One cannot please every reader.
I’ve been blogging almost 11 years. Yes, I mark anniversaries. Mine is coming up next month. The theme I have is Trellis. My advice is to first and foremost, write from your heart. Doing so can be scary. And risky. And as you said, a piece cannot be unshared once it’s been launched into the blogosphere.
Congrats again and keep writing. 🙂
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Cancer is depressing. I notice this aspect more and more. Wow – to blog for 11 years is huge! You have reached a lot of people. I will be writing my piece for the blog hop soon. So fun to do.
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