An award for me

Alissa of Life's Little Adventures (one of my most favorite blogs) has so kindly awarded my very first blog award. Woohoo. She has given me the Blogger Reflection Award.

Alissa is too kind to me, always. Here is what she said:

While I’ve always enjoyed her writing and her photography, lately she’s posted some thoughts that have really hit home with me.  I think we are pretty similar in our thought processes and personalities, and hearing her voice some of the things going on in her head has given me the incentive to re-evaluate some of the things in my own head.

She is referring, I believe, to my recent posts and ongoing conversation about trying to find peace and balance in my parenting, beginning with this post ("Finding peace with what is"), followed by this one ("More on finding peace") and this one ("Quick links post--on finding peace/balance").

As I've said before, if I can connect with at least one other person, find common ground, find a way of expressing something they are feeling, then I feel as if what I do is worth it. Because that's what my favorite writers and bloggers do for me (including Alissa).

So, thank you. Thank you.

I think I'm supposed to now award this to someone else (five other someones). I'm not good at this. Picking people for things. Mostly because I want to honor folks but not burden them with having to do something about it (say continue the meme chain, for example). And I never know if I am just adding one more thing to their "to do" list, when my intention is to honor and celebrate them. I'm not making sense. I think I'll just go with the idea that someone thinking of me makes me happy, so maybe my passing it along to someone else makes them happy.

So here are a few people I would like to award with The Blogger Reflection Award:

1. First off to Beth at Blue Ridge Blue Collar Girl. I've been corresponding with Beth for some time now when she wrote me a very nice email about my blog. She has finally taken her own step into the blogosphere, and it is already on my short list of very favorites. Beth really seems to take her time to see the world around her, to appreciate the beauty of the smallest of things. And I always appreciate that.

2. Jennifer at Pinwheels. Jennifer writes so eloquently and thoughtfully about parenting in general and parenting her special needs child in particular. But mostly she writes beautiful essays about her children, all of them, and how they make her feel. I learn so much from her gentle and loving approach. I want to be like her when I grow up.

3. Sara at Speaking of Simplicity. I found Sara one day when searching for blogs about Simplicity, Simple Living, etc. And I'm so happy that I did. I can identify with Sara. She is open, honest, and insightful. She is thoughtful, not preachy. She talks about her struggles, not just her successes. And, although her children are now grown and flown the nest, I can still identify with much of what she writes about. I find myself saying Yes. Yes, that's what I feel. Yes, that's what I think. Yes.

That's all I'm going to award today. I might add two more later. But thank you Alissa. And to the rest of you: go read these other ladies. It'll be worth your time.