“I have started this blog for me, but if it is helpful to others that would be grand. I have always felt that when people truly share what is really on their hearts, the world is a little less lonely. I don’t know where my second half of adulting leads me but I am certainly in the contemplation stage. And this new stage of my adventure is probably very similar to my son’s new experience – exciting, scary, exhilarating, freeing, introspective and necessary for us both to further develop into what we are meant to be in this mystery called Life.” – me (July 16, 2018)
Today is the second birthday of my precious creation, Adulting – Second Half. I started this blog on an emotional whim the day after my eldest son left our home, for his own adult life. I want to thank all of my loyal friends and readers (some of you who have been with me from the very beginning) from the bottom of my heart, which is overfilled with connection, gratitude, and love for all of you. You have given me your time, your validation, your insights and your love. Your gifts are so dear to me. I do not take you for granted. It is so wonderful to not have to write to a void. You are the other half to my writing process. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
When you start things on a whim, you don’t necessarily have a goal in mind. This blog was an impromptu outpouring of my emotions, my grief, my excitement, my fears – basically, my stored up heavy emotions, in the form of words. I think that’s mainly what the blog still is for me. Sometimes I get caught up into looking at the daily stats. Sometimes I think of grand marketing ideas of what to do with my writing, but mostly, every morning, I just get giddy to open up the browser to my blog and then open up my heart, to all of you. Writing my blog makes me excited for mornings, and I am honestly not a morning person.
A lot of life happens in two years. In the scheme of things we don’t necessarily think of two years as a long time. When we are dreading something arduous, we might even say, “Oh, I can handle it, it’s only two years!” And two years, does go by mighty fast and for some reason, years seem to go by, even exponentially faster, as we age. Perhaps this “speeding up” of time, is because we gain a deeper respect for the limited time we have to live, the closer we get to the reality of dying. Still, even as two years whizzes by, a lot of happenings happen in that relatively short amount of time. I can honestly say, that when I started my blog, going through a historic pandemic, never, ever, ever came to mind as a sub-plot.
Thank you for being my witnesses, my cheerleaders, my co-experiencers, and my teachers. Thank you for inspiring me to show up, to open up, and to practice and hone my skills. Thank you for sharing my life with me. This blog and by extension, the readers of this blog, will always be one of the fondest highlights of my life’s experiences. This I know for sure. You have changed my life for the better and that is a beautiful gift to give to anyone.
Keep hiking, really value your insights and musings. ????☝️
Thank you, Carly. Boots on!
I honestly can’t recall how I stumbled across your blog, but I know I’ve been following you for at least a year. Probably longer. Time flies, ya know?
On this blog birthday I’d like to share some thoughts with you.
First, I am in admiration that you get out of bed and do this every.single.day. That is dedication, and I’ve wondered many times if I could do the same. I’ve come to the realization that I could not. So that makes me appreciate your effort even more.
Second, it was at least 7 or 8 months before I realized that we share a name. In fact, I think you brought it to my attention by responding to one of my replies. Once that happened I felt totally bonded to you, even though we’ve never met in person and live on opposite coasts. I’ve always felt that Kelly is a magical name, and that most people who carry it have a special quality that others don’t possess. I hope you are proud to be a Kelly, because not everyone can handle it.
Third, I enjoy your observations about everyday life events, and find myself nodding along in agreement when I’m reading. You seem to feel everything very deeply, and occasionally I’m awestruck by the words you choose to express your emotions. As a freelance writer, I am in love with words and word combinations and I have a deep appreciation for when words come together in just the right way that creates something beautiful or poignant. You often seem to do this effortlessly, and it’s a joy for me to read. Please don’t let that statement put pressure on you to “step up your game” or anything like that. Your blog is perfect just the way it is.
Since I’m on the West Coast you’ve usually posted by the time I roll out of bed and get to my desk. A few weeks ago when your son had his seizure and you didn’t post, I panicked a little when Adulting wasn’t in my in-box. I hadn’t realized that reading the blog had become part of my morning routine until the day it was missing. So even on the days when I don’t have time to comment or I’m just in a crabby mood and you wouldn’t want to hear from me anyway, know that there is another Kelly who is eager to read what you have to share.
Congratulations on this two-year milestone, and thank you for continuing to do what you do. It makes a difference.
Kelly, I’m in tears, thank you. And also, thank you for all of the times that you have taken out of your busy days to make thoughtful comments to my blog. It means the world!! I feel like we are good friends and I have never met you nor shared more than a few words on this blog spot. What a wondrous thing! Must be a “Kelly” thing! 😉
Aww, thanks!
I feel the same. Sometimes there doesn’t need to be a physical presence for there to be a connection. And who knows – we both live in popular travel destinations, so one day there may be an in-person opportunity!
And yeah, it’s definitely a Kelly thing!!