It’s something you hope for but never expect.  You pour out your heart and soul and think nobody is noticing,  but they notice.  Then one day you are reading a talented writer’s blog post and realize she has nominated you for the Liebster Award.  You blink and look again.  Did I really just read I’ve been nominated for an award?!  Surely not.  You think of a million reasons why you shouldn’t have been nominated, and then you finally scrape up a reason or two of why you should.  So with all the gratitude my heart can give, I thank Heidi from Braving Mental Illness  (https://bravingmentalillness.com) for nominating me for the Leibster Award.  

I want to encourage you to look at Heidi’s blog.  The tag line on her blog is: THE JOURNEY TO HEALING BEGINS WITHIN – INSPIRING HOPE, COURAGE, & STRENGTH ONE LIFE AT A TIME. She is, without doubt, an inspiration and a beacon of light.  She is brave, honest, and vulnerable in her writing, so please make sure you spy out her blog.

I am grateful to Heidi for noticing my blog because I am very passionate about sharing my voice and helping others to see they are not alone in this fight.   It is the conduit through which I share my experiences, challenges, and victories.  I am greatly satisfied and when I can be at my most vulnerable, gather those feelings into words,  and   harness those words into a post that readers find valuable and meaningful. 

Before I tell you about the Liebster Award, let me share 10 “optional” facts about myself. 

1. If I weren’t a former-English-teacher-turned-blogger, my dream job would be acting.  My flare for histrionics and drama  would have helped me be an Oscar winner.   
2. I ran a marathon in 2012.  I swore when I was running the marathon I would never sign up for another one, and, as soon as it was over, I was looking for another marathon to sign up for.  
3. I think this world would be a cold, dark place if Chick Fil A did not exist.  
4. I love, love, love elephants.  I am so drawn to their family dynamics and how they are a matriarchal system.  I love how the female side of the herd never leaves another elephant behind and how they literally grieve over a member that has died.
5.   I taught English at the same high school Julia Roberts attended.
6. My favorite season is fall when the leaves turn, the apples are crisp, and football is in the air.
7. I’m probably the only one who thinks Starbucks is overrated.
8. My favorite genre to read is historical fiction. 
9. Speaking of reading, I will never touch another paper copy of a book.  I am all about electronic reading.
10. I breathe music.

Now, onto the Liebster Award!  It is managed by Jack Henry from The Global Aussie who has put in the effort and taken the helm to make a space where we can access information regarding the award.  The instructions  for nominating other bloggers are that they should have fewer than 200 followers and are a new blogger, although these are just guidelines, and Jack is pretty inclusive to all bloggers.  The other rules are below:

1. Create a new post thanking the person who nominated you.
2. Provide a link to their blog.
3. Include the award graphic.
4. Answer the questions provided.
5. Nominate 10 recently followed bloggers and share your post with them, so they can see it.
6. Make a new set of 10 questions for your nominees to answer.

My Ten Questions to Answer are:

• Were you nervous about starting a blog?

Well, this is not my first merry-go-round with blogging.  I started a blog on Blogger in 2009, but I took a hiatus from blogging 2013.  In 2017 I returned to my blog, transferred it from Blogger to a new self-hosted site, and rebranded it.  What made me nervous was I decided to give up most of my anonymity.  I wanted to shove the self-shaming aside that I feel towards my diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder and work to start removing the stigma.  One day I might fully become transparent and let everyone know about my diagnosis and blog, but now is not the right time.

• What do your friends, family, or peers think about your blog?

There are two people, besides my husband Daniel, that I am close to that are aware of my blog.  They are both supportive and have given me positive feedback, but I am still nervous about them reading my blog.  Daniel says he doesn’t read it, and I believe him.  Some of the older posts of my blog are from a really dark place, and I would hate for him to read them.

• Has your blog helped your work through some of our challenges?

Absolutely!  In fact, my writing and blogging are the main ways I work through challenges.  My blog is a form of therapy for me.

• What is your favorite dessert?

This is a million dollar question.  I love everything sweet, but, if I was only able to eat one last dessert in the world, I would choose a vanilla cupcake with rainbow sprinkles for two reasons: 1) it appeals to my inner children 2) it tastes delish!

• Would you ever consider being a motivational speaker?

In a broad way, I consider myself to have already been a motivational speaker.  I was a high school English teacher for almost four years.  Teaching high school is so much more than assigning books to read and papers to write.  Most of my students had difficulties and challenges far outside the school, so I felt I was their parent, their counsellor, their confidante, their lifeline, and definitely a motivational speaker to them.  

• Do you have a favorite color, if so what is it?

My favorite color is pink.  I used to hate pink because it had unpleasant associations linked to it, but now I embrace the color.

• If you are in Chapter one of this 2018 book, what would the title of your chapter be?

“She Knew She Could, So She Began”

• Do you regret anything from the year 2017?

Another million dollar question.  I don’t think I really have regrets from 2017.  There’s always something that could be done differently,  but I like to believe I always do my best with what I have and what I know at the time.

• What are a few of your goals for 2018?

I would like to improve my writing and blogging skills and work to reach a wider audience.  I am very serious about reaching out to a few organizations for freelancing work, and I would like to take some certificate classes on blogging, freelancing, and writing a memoir.  

• What was your most difficult challenge from the year 2017?

There were so many difficulties and challenges in 2017, but I would say that the loss of my father-in-law has been the hardest.

I now nominate the following bloggers:

1. Erin Fado at https://youwillbearwitness.com
2. Kaitlyn at https://withbeingalive.wordpress.com
3. Zoe Thomson at https://nolightwithoutdarkness.com
4. Karlena Clifford at http://karlenaclifford.co.uk
5. 97 at https://helloninetyseven.wordpress.com
6. https://happymentality.blog
7. Melanie at https://frasersfunhouse.wordpress.com
8. Sophie and Nick at https://thesmurfygamersblog.wordpress.com
9. Katie at https://lovelyinthedark.com
10. https://pausenotanend.wordpress.com

Should you choose to accept the nomination, please answer the following:

1. What is the most unusual item that can be found in your home/room?  What do you think it says about your personality that you own this item?
2. Whom do you most admire and why ?
3. If someone was to play you in a movie, who would it be?
4. What would be the name of your movie from #3?
5. What is the best material gift someone has given you?
6. You have to give up one thing that you love for the rest of your life.  What is it?
7. You win a large amount of money in the lottery.  Do you keep working at your job or retire? Why?
8. How many days could you last in solitary confinement?  How would you do it?
9. What’s your idea of a good time?
10. What’s one thing you would rather pay someone else to do than yourself?  Why?
11. What is your greatest pet peeve?  How would you handle it?

Thank you!  I look forward to reading everyone’s posts!!

Becca

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