I’m Ready

I’m finally ready to talk about my new project, 46ReasonsWhy.  It started out as just an essay to myself, maybe to use as part of my thesis.  I made a list a reasons, one for each year of my life, to not commit suicide.  I thought if I made the list while I was in a good place, I would make it sound convincing.  Each point is a little micro essay discussing that point and why it’s important to me.

I was at first thinking about sending it out, but I’ve decided to do more with it.  I’m going to make a website out of it and post one reason from the list per day.  And I’m talking to other people I know with mental health issues to see if they will be willing to make lists as well.  I can post reasons from them as well as they come in.  So I’m going to launch this website on June 1, along with a facelift of this site.  I’m really excited about it and what it could become.

 

Feeling Proud Today

So not only is it my birthday, we got my middle daughter’s newest ACT score today–she made a 35 (perfect is 36). She fell down a little bit in math on this one but we will take the composite and run with it into the college applications process. Not only did she do well on this test, all her scores in her classes are 100 or better so far (she is taking so many college classes that it barely matters how she does in the regular ones).  She has worked so hard in everything she does–from school to band to dance to church work.  We are so proud of you, Little Bit.

 

2015 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,500 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

This Gets A LIttle Confusing . . .

But hang with me because it comes out well in the end.  Saturday I was checking my email when I got a noti ce in my box from a literary contest I had entered once I started school at the urging of my professor,  They said I was a finalist in the contest but they did not have the name of my story.  SO I sent the name and told two people–Bob and my professor,

My next email I get says, sorry, I’m only a semi-finalist although the judging was very close.  So I kind of forget about it.

TOday I get an email titled “For Finalists and Semi-finalists” telling me they want to publish the finalists and some semifinalists in their December issue along with the winners and attached a contract tot he email  I look and my story is not on the list.  SO why did I get the email?  I decide to fill it out anyway in hopes they decide to publish me in the future.  SO I send it back.

A hour later I get an email thanking me for the contract and telling me that I WAS actually a finalist and will be published in the December issue with the winners.  So that is exciting news and I look forward to seeing my story there!

Updated Good News

Two bits for this morning–

My middle daughter is now officially a driver because we bought her car yesterday afternoon.  Just in time for her to drive herself to volunteer for Vacation Bible School next week.  She’s helping out with the kids snacks.  She bought a 2015 Honda CR-V.  Electric blue so she can find it in the parking lot, she says.  So she was very excited about that.

THe oldest has found a job for the summer!  It’s not restaurant work, but she’s working in a great environment at a Christian daycare–the one that brought her up.  THe current director was the assistant director when our kids were there and remembers our family really well.  We’ve stayed somewhat involved with it–donating items to it occasionally when we find out there’s a need.  So they know us and we know them, which could be a good thing while she’s there.

SO we’re being flooded with blessings right now and feel really good about what all is going to be happening this summer and fall.   Thanks for all the prayers through this transition time and keep watching this space for more as the summer goes on.  Blessings to all of you!

In Other News

I’ve also been invited to guest blog over at a blog called “Defying Shadows” (www.defyingshadows.wordpress.com)  It’s about breaking the stigma attached to mental health issues and reaching out to those who suffer from mental illness.  I’m in conversation with the admins about what exactly my role will be.  IT has a much larger following that my little blog, so I am definitely interested in reaching out to more people.

I wrote one blog post for them during May for Mental Health Awareness Month on bipolar disorder, so since that went well, I’m hoping doing more with them will work out as well.  I’m trying not to overcommit because I know spring always comes around.  But I’m really looking forward to all the opportunities that are coming my way.  Hope everyone has a good rest of the week!

Good Day Today

Had a good session with my therapist this morning,  We talked about my professional future and all my options I have opening up.  She said I seemed to really be in a good place right now and hoped that everything would soon be resolved where I could tell people about it :).  We also talked about the kids being home and how I was going to handle that.  So it was a productive session all around.

Had two very good professional things happen so far–yesterday was my first guest post for another blog called Defying Shadows.  I posted about bipolar disorder and what barriers I had in my life that I had run into as a result of it.  I hope it goes over well with their blog audience.  AND–I asked people to pray about an opportunity I had to be featured in a national magazine.  I got a return email today that the reporter wanted to chat with me over the phone and see what my story was all about. SO I am VERY thrilled with that possibility.

And my daughter fielded me a call today from a local lady that read my article in Mississippi Christian Living and wanted to tell me how much it meant to her.  I called her back and spoke to her for a minute; she said she had tried to find my blog and couldn’t, so I gave her the blog name and told her I would be thinking about her. That’s why I’m doing what I’m doing–to try to help others.  I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of doing this writing, but I feel a real call on my life to try to minister to people through this blog and through creating awareness.  So the more I can do that, the better.

Hope everyone has a good day today!