Let me explain.
Since I've been blogging, I've received my fair share of emails. Sometimes they're from military spouses who have found my blog while looking for advice on deployment. Sometimes they are new mothers struggling with breastfeeding. Sometimes they're a mom looking for fashion advice. Regardless of what the email is referencing, it makes my day to know that someone out there is reading. And not only are they reading, they took the time to reach out to me and ask me a question.
Since I've announced Z was deploying, I have received an amazing amount of emails, comments, messages, texts, etc. The support from this little community could not be any stronger if I needed it to be. And the fact that I turn to complete strangers for support may seem weird to most but if you're a blogger, you get it. You know that somewhere out there, someone is struggling with the same thing you are or seeking answers to the same questions you have.
I have received so many beautiful notes; the other day, I received an email from a woman who works in a bookstore and thought of me when she noticed other military spouses purchasing a certain book on second deployments. She offered to send me the book because she wanted to help me get through this difficult time.
I received an email from another reader who wrote a blog post inspired by myself and other military wives.
My mailbox was filled with Christmas cards from other bloggers.
When P was born, I received cards and new gifts to welcome her.
I've received Starbucks gift cards for dates before Z leaves. And other times to get me through my first week as a mom of two.
My point isn't to brag about these gifts, but recognize how important these small gestures are to me. That people I have never met have decided to go out of their way to pay it forward. In some way, I have touched their lives and in more ways than one, have now touched mine.
We often go about our days without realizing the effect we have on people. Whether it's a simple "Hi, how are you doing today?" or paying for the person behind us in the Starbucks drive-thru, we have the power to make someone else feel good. Isn't that crazy? Crazy beautiful if you ask me :)
I will admit, I often have a bad attitude and lose my faith. Life can't always be cupcakes and rainbows and we often dwell on the bad days over the good. We spoke with the Chaplain on post the other day about our upcoming deployment and something he said really struck a chord with me.
I was telling him how sad I was for my children to be without their dad for nine months to a year and he replied with:
"My children don't remember me being gone or the time apart, they remember how much fun we had when I was there and we were together."
It brings tears to my eyes as I type that because I wish I looked at everything in my life that way. Instead of dwelling on the negative, his children appreciated the positive. And that's something I seriously want to strive to do in everyday life.
As bloggers, we have the power to reach a mass amount of people with a simple click of "publish". And sometimes, we don't even mean to. Sometimes I write about absolutely nothing and other times it's meaningful. But one way or another, I'm reaching people and making an impact at that.
Whether I receive 1 comment or 100 comments, it warms my heart to know that other people out there get me. That new mom who's awake at 1:00 am, 3:00 am, and 5:00 am leaving me a comment on my Instagram. Or a new military spouse struggling with the separation of basic training. We're all human and we all have our own experiences in life. Sharing them can be overwhelming at times but at the end of the day, these connections with other women I've never even met before are priceless. They're something I'll always cherish and always wonder how I am so lucky to have.
Never underestimate the power or a smile or a small gesture. It may mean more to someone than you ever expect it to. You could be changing someone's life without even knowing it.
