I remember how I would save up pocket money to buy a diary that comes with a lock and key. It would be my 'secret' book where I wrote down my feelings, experiences and even crushes.
Subsequently, I began to find it troublesome having to unlock the book every time and when the key finally got lost, I switched to writing in notebooks, which eventually started to build up in stacks.
Then the internet came along and I would occasionally jot down my thoughts using MS Word. Hooray! That saved the worry about running out of storage space for the bulky books!
When blogging came along and I lay my hands on it for the first time, I instantaneously knew that I had fallen in love.
I started blogging in 2007 and at that time, I wasn't sure what was going to come out of it. All I knew was that I loved having an outlet to express myself, I loved being able to capture my everyday moments in pictures and words, I loved having something to look forward to every morning and I loved owning a space on the web that was truly just me.
Through the years, although crushes have vanished and hearts have been broken, my love for blogging has never diminished, only grown.
Today, I'm going to share with you on the 5 'R's of why I like to blog.
While I loved to blog before I became a mum, it was after I became one that this love rose to new, unprecedented heights.
Blogging became a way of remembering how my baby arrived in this world, the aroma of her tiny feet, the tenderness of her touch, the beauty of her first smile, the excitement of her first tooth and the sugary sweetness of her kisses. I mean, there are only so many things my brain can retain but through blogging, I suddenly seem to possess an eidetic and photographic memory.
I can't even describe to you the joy of reminiscing the countless blissful moments of motherhood. If anything, it's priceless. Blogging makes me feel proud to be a mum, it makes me wanna embrace every moment of life, it makes me hug my little one tighter and be thankful with every beat of my heart that she's mine.
There was a time after I ditched my job in Singapore and traveled half the globe to become a SAHM in Sweden that I started to wonder, what am I doing with my life?I would even go to the extent of saying that my self-worth took a deep plunge down. I began to lose my interests in life, I doubted my own potential, I was apprehensive if I had any capabilities left, I forgot what it was like have an aspiration.
It's not like blogging can always make dreams come true, but it gives me a chance to get reacquainted with the one important person in my life - myself. It makes me motivated to continue pursuing my interests such as crafting and video-making, it spurs me on to discover new horizons and pushes me to reach for the stars, it provides me with confidence and poise, it tells me that there is so much more in life to see, to hear, to feel, to experience.
Dream come true or not, the important thing is it allows me to have a dream.
Even though I love to write about happy things, the truth is that life is a roller coaster ride filled with ups and downs. Blogging helps to remind me that life is never perfect, that motherhood is never just about rainbows and butterflies, that the bitter is there to help me appreciate the sweet.My blog is a place where I can run to when my world turns upside down. It's an outlet for me to pen down any negative thoughts and translate it into positive strength, something that eludes a mom when she desperately needs it. Writing down about my miscarriage, my D&C operation, our car accident, Angel's stitches helped me to remember, to see things in perspective, to grieve, and finally, to let go.
It's not that I have forgotten, but I have moved on.
Yes, blogging is a way for me to not just remember, but to remind and reflect as well.
With blogging, I have my own voice, my own platform, my own stage in life.It doesn't merely allow me to rediscover myself, it empowers me to realize my dreams. I started my own Travelogue page which allowed me to document my travels around the world and let me have the opportunity to share the beautiful sights and experiences with my readers. I have my Videos page and while the videos may be amateurish, at least I'm keeping them coming regularly because they constitute my precious gift to my girl. Well, she sure enjoys being the movie star in every of them!
Last year, I started my Spread L-o-v-e initiative and have been passing on handmade gifts to readers around the world. This year, I also started hosting my first fortnightly linky party called Creativity 521. Crafts inspire me and through them, I hope to inspire too. Not only do these projects keep my creative juices flowing, it's also the first time I feel like I have the power to share, to motivate and to hopefully make a difference in someone's life.
Last but not least, blogging is a way for me to reconnect with my family and friends, especially when living in a foreign land.While it's not possible to keep in touch with everyone back home, A Happy Mum has become a place for them to keep up with my family happenings, to witness Angel's growth and to drop us precious words of love and care.
This year, I've also had the opportunity to get to know a group of Singapore Mom Bloggers who never fail to inspire me, to make me laugh and to teach me new things about motherhood. We're gone through similar hair-pulling, heart wrenching moments but we have also experienced the same heavenly, unparalleled, divine feeling of being a mom. That's what pull us together and for that, I'm deeply grateful.
In addition, I'm also thrilled and elated to have readers writing in to share their stories, to seek advice and to encourage me to keep writing. Blogging transcends distance, time, religion, culture and it's amazing how it bonds people, near and afar.
So there you have it, the five 'R's behind A Happy Mum. If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that this love of mine is here to stay.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a reader.
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This post is part of a blog train hosted by Rachel of Catch Forty Winks.
Next up on the "Why Moms Blog" blog train:
Sarah runs in a domestic circus where her loyal audience of two keep her really busy. When her hands are free from the spatula, laundry basket, mop or kid, you can find her sharing a slice of her mad life at The Playful Parents. Sarah is an aspiring writer, storyteller and rehabilitated educator who loves thinking up new ways to make play of this serious business called ‘parenting’.
