Photo by Desirea Rodgers
This post was originally published on February 10, 2009.
I used to think blogs were strange. A public journal for all the world to read? Um, no thank you. Sounds like my worst nightmare - like having the boys at camp steal my private, written thoughts and spread them around.
Obviously I've changed my mind. Now that I've had time to reflect on the process, I can see the many pros of blogging.
For example, during any particularly difficult moment with the children (public tantrum, potty catastrophe, etc), instead of being certain that I've ruined my life by raising three monsters, I find myself thinking, "This will make a great blog post!"
So thank you, blogosphere, for giving moms everywhere a little outlet.
On the other hand, the content of some popular blogs concerns me a little. Like recounting last night's reality tv episode, or fashion posts on which boots to buy this season. Are these really the topics that hard-working moms like us are interested in?
I fully believe that a big part of being a mother is inspiring our children. How can we do that unless we are inspired ourselves?
We need depth, passion, purpose, greatness.
I can't promise you'll find that greatness here at Steady Mom. (Don't put that pressure on me; I'll disappoint and screw up!) And I'm certainly not saying that moms should never relax or laugh.
Finding the beauty in the midst of the daily routine is a valuable skill. We need to laugh at the sweetness of our little ones, to laugh at ourselves. But ultimately, our lives reflect our priorities.
And since my goal is to live with intention, I can't focus my blog on the unimportant.
- I can't do it, because I know too much.
- I can't do it, because I've stood in the sweltering heat of an African orphanage holding a sick-with-malaria, starving child in my arms. My son, Elijah. He survived, but over 3,000 African children each day die from the same disease.
- I can't do it, because last night I cried alongside my little girl as she talked about four years in an orphanage waiting for a family. "Nobody came to get me; it took too long."
I know the number of children still waiting at her "India House," and that millions of orphans with broken stories, empty bellies, and aching hearts are suffering tonight.
- I can't do it, because I know that even as I type this post, thousands of children are being raped and abused at the hands of predators around the world, and that two children are sold into sexual slavery every minute.
I once heard a speaker say that ever since she fully understood the depth of the orphan crisis, she wasn't much fun at dinner parties anymore. She no longer had time for trivial chitchat - she wanted to talk about suffering, about sacrifice, about hope for change.
That's exactly how I feel - an urgency to do something. To not waste time. We can't do everything, but each and every one of us can do something in our world to make it better.
We can change someone's life in some small way. And by our actions we can inspire our children to do something even greater.
Or we can teach them which boots to look for this season.
