To put it mildly, there has been a lot to process over the last few years.

Not even just all that’s been going on in the news and with politics and everyone’s health, but also in my husband’s job plus personal stuff (don’t worry, our immediate family has been thriving for the most part) and just…life.

Plus I started a booth, then we moved and I started home schooling…among other things. As I often say, “It’s been a LOT.” Almost everyone I talk to feels the same way.

Life has been A LOT lately.

Pretty recently, when I was talking about how hard it’s been to handle it all and keep a clear head (does anyone else feel like their brain is slower and their capacity is more limited these days??), a dear friend pointed out that I haven’t really taken the time to process everything. Yup. Guilty. But how?? How do you take the lessons you’ve learned and the ways you’ve grown, and move forward with hope and confidence??

For anyone new here, I’ve been blogging since 2007. That’s 15 years! What started as a way to share my thrifty finds, motherhood journey and craft projects led to a blog to support my image consulting business then writing and editing services and now….this.

Since back-burnering my business after Kate was born, I haven’t been writing much. What am I going to say if I’m not selling something, right??

Yet in real life, I’d find myself feeling frustrated because I was holding back emotions or even anger. Over the last two years in particular, all the controversy, hysteria and differing opinions have really dissuaded me from sharing, well, anything.

And there are plenty of issues or topics I’m not even sure HOW I feel about, and others I’m VERY sure of but know they’re not popular opinions.

Beyond my booth, my creative pursuits have been quite lacking. Day to day life is….full.

So I just stopped writing. Which meant I’d also stopped processing. It took THIS article by Kristen Welch of We are THAT Family to help me realize how much I needed to start writing for me again.

As a long-time business blogger, it’s easy to slip into “What’s good for SEO?” mode or “What do I want to help my readers with?” mode but when I started blogging it was so I could share my life and hobbies, and work through the ups and downs, not to sell anything. That’s why I stay–to tell my story and talk about what works for me, in the hopes of helping people.

So I’m reminding myself of what I did when I started…I have a unique story and perspective and maybe someone out there would be encouraged or inspired to hear from me, even in my uncertainty. I’m writing for me again but it’s for you, too.

Plus I’d enjoy writing more about faith, family, home and crafting again. Returning to my first loves!

Let the processing begin.