Saying a fond farewell.....

With a heavy heart, dear readers, I’ve decided to make this the last post on my wee blog. 

Last month I wrote a deliberating post; bemoaning the fact that I wasn’t writing posts as regularly as I used to, wondering why that was, and eventually deciding that the length of time between posts didn’t matter. Whether I wrote one post a day or one post a month; all that really mattered was still feeling good about writing my wee blog. I also decided that if reading my posts made someone else feel good along the way, well, that was just a brilliant added bonus!

Yesterday someone commented on a post that I’d written two years ago. As ever, I was touched that a stranger on the other side of the world had come across my blog, been moved by one of the posts, then had taken the time to write a comment. She told me a bit about her story and explained why my post had meant something to her. It’s a great example of that added bonus which made writing my blog such a special experience for me, and one of the many reasons why I’ll miss writing here.

So, why stop? Well, I think I’ve been kidding myself on a wee bit over this past wee while. I didn’t mention, in that last ‘deliberation’ post, the parrots on my shoulder. Let me explain. When I first started writing my blog I had one wee parrot sitting there on my shoulder, gently reminding me to be careful about what I was writing as every post was out there in the public domain. Now, however, I feel like I’ve got a whole flock of parrots fluttering all around my head almost every time I start to write a post. “Is it OK to write that? How will that affect certain folk? Better not mention so and so’s name. What will so and so think of me saying that? Do I want so and so to know that I was doing this and that? Is it OK for a stranger to know this simple wee thing about me? Or about my family? Blah blah blah....!” I guess I just don’t feel as free in my writing here as I used to. And I think that’s the real reason why I’ve stopped writing on my wee blog as often as I used to.

Nobody put those parrots there; they all belong to me and I think they’ve mostly popped up as a result of all of the ethical questions I have to continually ask myself as an important part of a practicing counsellor’s way of life. It's not just affected how I feel about my blog; I’ve recently gone through all of my ‘friends’ on Facebook and taken everyone off the list that I've never met. Please don’t be offended if you’re reading this and you’re one of my ‘virtual’ blogging pals – it’s absolutely nothing personal!

It makes me feel really sad to say it, but writing such a personal blog just isn’t sitting right with me anymore. It’s time to stop. I like to think I’ll start up a new blog sometime in the future – hopefully the not too distant future. I don’t have a clue what I’ll call it or what it’ll be about or how much of me I’ll bring to it but if you’d like to see what my blogging future holds, just make sure you’re registered here to receive email notifications (by filling in your email address on the bit over there on the right hand side that says 'Follow by email') and I’ll make sure I post a link to anything I come up with!

In the whole scheme of things, ending my wee blog’s really not that big a deal (...I’m going to two funerals this week...). But I will really miss it and I’ll really miss you. Whoever you are, wherever you are, whether this is the first post you’ve read or the umpteenth – I’ll miss blethering to you here.

I don't want to go on too much more, but I can't stop without saying a huge Thank You! Thank you so very very much for taking the time to read my posts. They've had a lot of views - over 26,000 to date - and I’ve absolutely loved writing them. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, my wee blog will always be here to pop back to for a wee visit now and again. It’ll be good, in the future, to be reminded of things that made me feel good in the past and it’s my hope, dear readers, that some of you can benefit from doing that too – just like that lady yesterday who visited my blog for the first time and felt good after reading a two year old post!

As I’ve said right from the very start; not everyone can have the same outlook on life, but I really do think it’s possible to find something good in most of our days. 

So, what’s making me feel good today? Hm, saying a fond farewell to a great wee pal and remembering all the special times we’ve shared together. 

That’s what’s making me feel good today....