This is my 700th post on No Kidding in NZ, and only a few weeks shy of my ten year anniversary here. I started blogging when I had already come to terms with my No Kidding situation. It had been seven years since the day all avenues were closed to me. Those seven years saw me grieve, saw me question myself and my value, and saw me grapple with a lot of issues about myself and my place in society. But they also saw me embrace my lifestyle without children, expand into new career ventures, develop new coping skills, and finally feel a contentment that I’d been looking for over many years.
I wasn’t grieving any longer. I felt acceptance and clarity. But I felt alone too, in my post-grieving No Kidding world, and wanted a community that would understand. And I felt I had been through a lot, and through my volunteer work on a pregnancy loss messageboard, knew that my experience could help others, and I didn’t want to keep those hard-won lessons to myself.
And here I am 700 posts later, and ten years later. The blog is part of me now. I’m sure some people wonder why I still blog on this topic. Do I still have things to say? Most weeks. Though I struggle from time to time! Do I still find comfort knowing that there are people who get it, who get me? Yes, definitely. Do I know that I still help people from time to time? Yes. Every so often there is a comment or email that makes it so very worthwhile. So am I sticking around? Yes, for a while at least! Thanks for sticking around with me.
dear Mali,
ReplyDeletethank you for your 700 posts and 10 years of writing.
Your writing and sharing have helped me enormously.
I am looking forward to your new posts!
That's an amazing milestone -- actually two of them! For today, I cheer for your 700 posts. Your presence here has been important to me, even though I came out of IF on a different path. There are so many commonalities in healing and resolving and accepting and thriving.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 700 posts!
Thank you for writing!! :) I know you're still helping people. You've helped me a ton. Some of your posts, like Infertility's Waiting Room, are classic!
ReplyDeleteWow, dear Mali, this is quite impressive! Congratulations on 700 posts and 10 years! And THANK YOU as well. This blog certainly has been a huge help to me, too.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for always inspiring and being so insightful in your observations and compassion <3
It has been a true honor to be a reader !!
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and clear posts. So much that you have written is applicable beyond infertility. Thank you for such openness on a topic so many treat as taboo and showing a different path that goes forward into a beautiful world.
ReplyDeleteRose
700 posts (and almost 10 years!) is a major feat. Congratulations on using your voice to bring us together and make us think.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 700th post! What you have to say is still relevant and amnay times your words have helped me cope.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! 700 pause and nearly 10 years is a huge milestone! I have so appreciated your wisdom, honesty, and light shining back to those of us just coming out of the dark. Your writing was instrumental in my journey of realizing that resolving childfree was an option that wasn't a sad sack life, that wasn't "giving up," and that acceptance could lead to a beautiful life. Thank you for continuing to write, for shining your light, for sharing your journey and your thoughts on the no kidding life. 💜💜💜
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of writing, and a lot of wisdom for your readers! Congratulations! So happy to have you on this road less travelled with me! :)
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