Thursday

When Bloggers Don't Blog

I jumped into the blog community this time last year. 

My blog was unknown and mostly unread.

There were a few people who believed in me from the beginning:  my first commenters. 

Strangers, who made my day.

And nearly every one of the blogs who welcomed me into this community and made me feel loved, have stopped blogging. 

There are different reasons, some I know, others I don't. I stay in contact with a couple through email, but others have deleted their blogs and I haven't heard a word.

It's like a friend moved away.

Which feels strange, just typing those words. How can I miss people I've never met in real life or spoken to in person? 

I just experienced my first blogging conference where I put faces with names. It makes it all more real. Because (news flash) REAL people write blogs!

I've been thinking about why bloggers stop blogging. Do they run out of words because they've said it all? Are they compromised in some way?  Too busy? Or just simply burned out from too much of an online life? There are probably a million different reasons.

If you blog, please remember that your words are powerful. They are read. The good and the bad. And when you leave this parallel world, you are missed.

I know many bloggers stop out of disappointment or because they don't feel their blog is successful. 

I think this is why commenting is so important. It's not about receiving a hundred comments a day, it's about the affirmation, the companionship that you receive. I make it a point to comment on several new blogs every week. Someone I don't know, never heard of, because I want to be someone's first commenter. 

Why do you blog? Do you ever want to stop? 

I have to say, I hope I'm never done.

(I know many of my readers do not have a blog, but I'm still very glad you're a part of my world. How would you feel if you clicked to your favorite blog and it was gone?)

194 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope to not stop blogging. I know what I write will change as my kids get older and they can read my blog.

Melissa Stover said...

i do the same thing, try to find new blogs and comment on them at least once a week.

Anonymous said...

My blog is like raising a child to me. Some days are harder than others. Some are more rewarding too. And yes, some days I want to give up.

But just like my kids, I can barely imagine my life without the blog. It seems like a life in black and white- which is now in techincolor.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one blogs about it, did it really happen?

I have to blog it...to know I am living/feeling/experiencing it. It has made my life...MORE REAL.

Never stop blogging.
You are MY inspiration.

And FYI. (shameless pathetic plug) The FRO Party is on people...get over there! Mr. Linky is dancing on the tables already!!!

Smockity Frocks said...

I have been at it for over 2 yrs. now and sometimes it does feel like I'm not saying anything that isn't already out there 100 times over, but my husband and mom get a kick out of it and they HOUND me to keep it up, so I do.

Because of them, I've pushed past a couple of times I probably would have quit.

Debbie said...

I enjoy blogging. It is an outlet for what I have on my mind and see in "my world" around me.

However, between work, a new grandchild, a parent's recent heart attack and life in general have been getting the way of blogging. I just don't have ideas any more. I'm hoping this will change soon, but for now I am pleased if I get a post a week.

Keep on posting for those of us that just can't post as often as we'd like.

TTFN

Muthering Heights said...

I agree...even if I don't comment everyday, I try to comment at least a few times per week! Otherwise, blogging as though you're talking to yourself can be a bit discouraging!

Anonymous said...

I don't comment as much as I should, but I agree that is so important.

I blog to remember. I blog so that my kids know what life was like for me...the forgotten perspective!

Anonymous said...

Well I blog for ME (well on my mom blog anyway, lol!) and I don't see myself stopping completely anytime soon. I have taken several longer breaks when things interfered. But thankfully I feel my blog is a success as long as it provides me an outlet for writing, sharing, etc. And yep, it is sad when a bloggy friend disappears.

Unknown said...

I try to find a new blogger every week and comment on their blog. I don't see myself stopping my blog but I do understand because the balancing act of real life and blog world is a difficult one - especially if you'd like your blog to be well read.
I have to remind myself that I want to have a vital impact on the world IRL, not just behind the screen.
As a mom, I don't want my kids remembering me in front of the computer, but snuggling with them on the sofa reading to them. It's great to be encouraged by women who blog, and who do this successfully, and hopefully I, in turn, can do the same. :)

yes, it's a balancing act and one that I am dealing with at the present time. :)

Upstatemamma said...

I am still pretty new. I started my blog awhile back. But I wrote two posts and forgot all about it. Then I picked it up again last February and wrote sporadically and now I don't stop writing. That started near the holidays last year. The funny thing is that is how I am in person - I am really quiet until I get comfortable and then most people just wish I would be quiet again. :)
Seriously, I am really enjoying myself. I hope I never stop. I blog because it is fun. I get to talk about my family and the things we do and like.
I hate when my favorite blogs disappear. It makes me sad.

Rebecca said...

Amen! My "record" for comments hovers right around 10, so I am thoroughly amazed when you "professional" bloggers get 50 to 100 or more.

Why do I blog? To share my life with family and friends who are far away and to share worthwhile ideas. I agree with Debbie and Dramamama: it's an outlet and also a way to remember.

It's so enjoyable to receive input from someone (via those coveted comments) that what I said means something to them. This is where it makes me feel, sometimes, like I'm back in high school: Striving for that ever-elusive popularity.

And then I remember that my worth is found in the One who created me.
And my blog expresses part of who I am. Like you said, our words are powerful. Maybe via the blog, we'll change someone's life, either in a simple way here on earth or in a huge way for eternity.

Melissa said...

Great post! I don't think I'll stop blogging...at least for a while. It is an outlet for me, away from being a mom, housewife, daughter, and everything else. I love the freedom. I've only been blogging for about 2 months, but I wish I had picked it up sooner!

Colleen - Mommy Always Wins said...

Kristin, I remember back when your blog had a mac address. Your blog was one of the first I found that I could REALLY relate to! My blog may not be *nearly* as big as yours, but I love every aspect of this online community. I "get" why some people might feel they want to shut down their blogs, but at the same time hope I never feel that way!!!

Gillie said...

I started my blog over three years ago (I was on AOL) after I had a miscarriage and found a couple of blogs of people going through something similar at the time. It was an outlet I really needed at the time.

I kept blogging because I liked it. I had always kept a written journal but an online blog was fun and I made some great friends out here. I do go through blogging breaks but always come back.

It is sad when someone you have been reading stops blogging. I have felt the same way. It IS like losing a friend. It's worse when you don't know why and they are just *POOF* gone. There are quite a few of my old peeps that I really miss. I wonder what they (or their kids) are up to.

cajungal01 said...

I like this post and reminder to comment more on people's blogs! I do often get discouraged with mine because I feel like my only reader is my sister (who I also talk to 3-10 times a day!) so it seems pointless. BUT when I do keep up with it and blog often, I realize that I like the outlet...even if I'm only talking to myself! :0)
~robin

ginger said...

I started this journey at the end of Jan. Still not sure what the heck I am doing, really. I am not a writer but more of an observer/journaler. My biggest fear? That I will share too much & get hurt. But I am realizing that life is pretty much like that, internet or no. Since I work online, the idea of a community here is comforting, though.
Because I have so few comments, I am able to visit the blogs of each of the people who leave those comments & leave my own message. I really like finding new people via other blogs & checking out what they are doing, too. Have already found some great ideas that way.
Thanks, Kristen for this post.

Unknown said...

I have kind of sort of had two blogs. Only the names have changed to protect the innocent! LOL...

I didn't have focus when I first starting blogging and I think I was just blogging cause that's what everyone else was doing. Finally I was hit over the side of the head and started from scratch recently, realizing I just needed to pray about what I was going to post and post what was truly on my heart.

Maybe folks quit blogging because they have lost focus.

Unknown said...

One more thing...no one hardly comments on my blog. I often wonder if it's because I'm too old or too wacko or just plain boring!

Anonymous said...

You know I was one of those bloggers that fell off of the face of the earth for a while. I just needed a break. But I didn't want to blog that I needed a break because I was going to come back "tomorrow or the next day." Then I realized it had been months.

In fact, I was ready to start up again after the holidays when TheYoungest landed in the hospital. Now I'm using my blog to record everything that happened with her kidney failure.

I do try to comment on the blogs I read regularly, but I have to admit I haven't looked for new ones to read in a while. Next year when I have two on the same schedule, I'll have some more time. I hope.

I remember when you were still fairly new. I could always count on you for a comment :)

Anonymous said...

I blog to keep a record of events for my kids. I started blogging because I read great blogs like yours and saw how you were connecting with people. I am a work from home mom and there are times when I literally don't leave the house for days, so it's a way for me to connect with others. I will never be a great writer or story teller like some of you and I am ok with that. I am enjoying it, and my husband gets a kick out of it. Especially when I talk about him

Anonymous said...

I blog to gain some peace of mind. It's a place to put my thoughts, goals, etc. And although I didn't start for the comments, I do wish I recieved more feedback.

How do you convince lurkers to de-lurk and actually comment? Any advice?

KK said...

I love this post and totally agree. I hope to never stop blogging but who knows. Things happen that we never expect. It's such a fun way for me to share the odd things that run through my head!

Anonymous said...

I've never thought about it before, but I would be darn sad if I clicked on a favorite blog and found it had vanished. You really can connect with people and feel like friends even though you've never met. I love the bloggy world and can't imagine totally giving it up.

Lisa said...

I enjoy the blogging, but sometimes I just don't feel like doing it. I love the people I have connected with, and I hope I stay connected for years to come. But sometimes I just want to be right here in my little world,alone. Sometimes I want to be around everyone and show what I have been doing. Sometimes my heart is just heavy and I don't want to show that side to others, I protect myself from that. So it is a strange mixture. I also feel I spend WAY TO MUCH time on the computer and feel I need to limit how much time I spend there. So that's my story and I am sticking to it! =)

Banteringblonde said...

I'm fairly new but my blog is mostly a creative outlet for me...

Anonymous said...

In the past, I stopped blogging when life got too busy. This time around, I have made an effort to get on the computer and blog even if it's only a few times a week.

Why do I blog? For fun, to meet other women, to share ideas, to relieve stress.

Dorci said...

I can relate to something I've seen written on a couple of blogs recently: read by tens of people every week..lol. I will have my blogiversary in a couple of months. I started blogging because I used to write devotions for our churches forum but that was shut down. I love writing about the Lord and God's word so I started the blog. I wish it was more successful, but I'm doing for the Lord and slowly but surely He's developing a readership. I hope to never stop. And I hope you never stop, either!

Anonymous said...

I have been a writer in my heart for most of my life. But when I started blogging about 3 years ago, I never imagined it would be as therapeutic and such a creative outlet as it is.

I don't plan on ever stopping blogging. It's been so good to me :-)

Anonymous said...

I blog for so many different reasons. To keep in touch with family, to share a hobby with my husband, to write, to become involved with such a great community, so share my thoughts and ideas and life with the world, to process and grow. And the list could go on and on and on. I don't know that I could ever stop even though I struggle with it from time to time and always want to make sure that it doesn't overtake my life and that my priorities are always in the right order.

This was a great post!

RefreshMom said...

I blog, like many I think, because I can't NOT write. Blogging helps me keep track of those moments that I don't want to lose. Maybe they'll be part of something bigger someday, maybe they'll only be those few paragraphs, but at least they're there.

Blogging is also some degree of immediate reward too. I've written books and feedback is a long-time coming--when it comes at all. With blogging, I know that same day whether something I wrote connected with someone in some way. Yeah, I'd love to have more visitors, but I appreciate those who do come, especially the faithful with whom I'm beginning to build relationships.

I may stop blogging at some point if other commitments squeeze it out of my schedule, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

And yes, I miss people who just "disappear" from my virtual world too.

LaVonne said...

Sometimes blogging takes up so much time I think I should cut back, but I never want to stop. And yes, it is a true statement, that comments truly make my day. I really enjoy reading your blog, Kristen. Keep it up!

Unknown said...

I started blogging because my son was in England, and had met the woman he was going to marry. I wanted to let her get to know our family a little better, so I started writing about us, for her.

But it has evolved now into something else, it is more for me, for my own satisfaction. I write now about eating a gluten free diet, budgeting, travel, and living fulltime in an RV. I enjoy my life and I enjoy writing about it. I hope other people get some good ideas from it, to make their own lives enjoyable. Maybe they do, maybe they don't.

Oh, and one of my biggest fans is my 79 year old father in law. He tells me every time I talk to him on the phone, that if I haven't written that day he misses me.

Lorie said...

What I blog about has changed, but I never see stopping. Slowing down during different times of my life, but not stopping.

Catherine (Alecat Music) said...

From a fairly novice blogger, thank you for this post. :)

I never set out to put up a post a day, and I'm glad for it as the time to write can easily get lost amongst every other day happenings.
I, too, began blogging to share with family our goings-ons, but also to share some ideas which (I hope) may help others in our homeschooling life.

Unknown said...

I can't imagine stopping. I hope you don't either.

I also try to find a new blog or two every week. WFMW is a great place, I usually leave a comment on the linked post and then hunt back through archives and leave a comment on one of the early posts too. Sometimes the earliest posts on a blog are the most heartfelt, but unfortunately overlooked in the early days.

Nimmi said...

Thanks for this wonderful post it reminds me that I have to keep my blog going. I do have a million thoughts about what to write but I rarely find the time to set up the posts. It makes me sad because I love to blog. - I just marked an hour on Saturday to set up at least one post.

Unknown said...

Great post and great reminder.

We all get so many things from our own blogging, and also from reading/commenting on others.

I love to find new blogs, but love my old favs too. It's like at a party - great to see the friendly faces, and interesting to meet some new faces too.

I try to make my blog like a conversation, and ask questions a lot!. This helps commentors become more involved, as blogging for me is a 2-way process.

And if anyone if looking for someone new to visit - pick me!

I am off to check out some of the new blogs to me in the comments above.

Becky said...

Great ideas and thoughts. Like a lot of people, I started blogging as a way to communicate with far-flung family (in particular to help my new daughter-in-law living 2000 miles away get to know her new family). Since then I've discovered many amazing people, and you're one of them. I think it's just neat to be able to share ideas and know we're not alone.

And this year I'm trying to do better at leaving comments, because I know I love to receive them, so I figure others do to!

Jenny86753oh9 said...

I also was one of those bloggers that "took a break". I was in a mad little tizzy from leaving a church and I just didn't have anything nice to say. I have to admit, I lost a lot of readers during that time and some of them stopped blogging too.

I'm back in it but I'm having to start from scratch. I like to comment on other blog...otherwise, what's the point of an online community?

*I've enjoyed finding your blog!*

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Getting started is the hard part. But blogging has become a real outlet for me. I have a sense of humor that has to go somewhere or it will drive my family nuts so I use my blog sometimes as an outlet for that. I've met some GREAT people and would miss them terribly if they ever just stopped blogging. When you know you finally have a regular reader base you can relax and know that if you need a few days off they aren't going to go anywhere. I think that's some people's fear is that if they don't blog EVERY day they will lose someone. But then that puts so much pressure to perform that you can get burned out. Fortunately my kids give me a lot of great material! LOL. Okay this comment was longer than I had hoped.
Have a great day!!
Kim

Melissa R said...

I don't have a blog and don't intend to but I can understand the importance of knowing people care. One blog I read has very few comments. I always make sure I leave one. I think she's wonderful, I hope she continues even though she isn't getting piles of comments.

Thanks for all you bloggers do, I don't read the newspaper, I don't watch the news. YOU are all my measure of how the world is going. And, from what I can see, it's not all that bad.

Shell in your Pocket said...

I love the people I have met...my life seems richer~

sandy toe

Jodee said...

Since my blog is essentially a digital scrapbook for my family, I never plan to stop! I am completely addicted!

Have a great day!

Amy Ellen said...

Thank you so much for this encouragement to keep on! I am just getting started and I often have thoughts like: "I spend so much time on these posts and I don't know if anyone really benefits from reading them!" Then I get a new comment... and, you're right, it's an affirmation that my blog is worth it.

I try to find a few new blogs a day... sometimes I don't have the extra time... and sometimes I can find ten. I guess I just want to always be looking out for something new. It takes me a while because I like to browse old posts and topics. But, I hope my comments encourage other bloggers like you've described.

happyathome said...

I love the whole blogging concept and when I first was introduced, like anything else new, I was on during a lot of my time. I also found myslef neglecting many things that needed to be done or spending time with my daughter. Now, after alsmost a year, I have stepped back, posted daily but not as much and stopped surfing as much to do projects that have backed up and activities with my family. I stop by blogs or read my reader but comment less than when I first started. I have also shifted on what I write about now, which opened up a whole new realm of posting. I know my reader numbers have gone down but I can say my quality of life has gone up.
Great post, thanks for bringing it up.

everydayMOM said...

Great post! I've wondered the same thing, too. I've been blogging since last fall and I know the only times I thought about quitting were because I felt I wasn't getting "enough" traffic.

Then I realized what an insult that was to the handful of people who were actually reading! I mean, come on! Who do I think I am that ANYONE should take time each day to read what I have to say?!? So, I should be thankful for the readers I have!

I read a few blogs, though, where the writers get tons of comments and every few months they write a post about how they need to take a break. I think they must start feeling pressure to come up with something creative to say when they have so many readers.

Thanks for keeping it real! How encouraging that you have so many readers after a year!

Kelly B said...

I completely agree. I just started my blog and if someone comments, I do the happy happy joy joy dance. My kids laughed and made fun of me, but now they join in. :) I don't want to stop blogging. My life is nuts already and the only time I have to do something not related to small children is when I read blogs and when I work on my own. It is a nice creative outlet and just reading has given me so many ideas. I just love it!! :) Plus, if you blog that you will be working on a certain part of your house... you have to get it done. So I get more stuff done. ;)

Carrie @carrieloves said...

Sometimes I waver between posting or not, but I try to remember the reason I started blogging... to keep in touch with family.

Hannah :) said...

I hope to never stop blogging. It's a lot of fun and it's kind of like therapy for me. lol.

AND YES. It is completely possible to miss someone you've never met in person. I have many friends like that. Just because you haven't met them physically, doesn't mean your hearts dont connect and your spirits are edified. I like the cyber friends, the ones you've never met in person, because they are always as close as an email, phone call or blog post. If the move away, you arent hurt because you've never known them as someone you're used to seeing. I find it such a blessing!

THANK YOU FOR BLOGGING!!!

God bless you,
Hannah
allaboutnonsense.blogspot.com

marky said...

I was one of those bloggers.. who simply stopped blogging for almost 2 months. I am slowly starting back in. I stopped for many reasons, but mainly because I got too busy with work and was going through a lot of medical stuff and honestly too tired and uninspired to write much.

The Buntens said...

If I stay true to the reasons I began blogging in the first place, I love it. It's when I try to make my blog like everyone else's that I feel like quitting. When I start thinking about stats and if I should be trying to make money with it and going to conferences and if I've tweeted in the last 5 hours...
then I lose sight of the joy in blogging.
When I blog based on wanting to share my heart, read what is on other's heart and have fun - it's all good.

I remember when you started your blog, Kristen. You have definitely made your blog something wonderful. I used to comment here all the time. I just get involved with those commenting on my blog and don't have time to visit my old favorites most of the time.

bridget {bake at 350} said...

I remember when I started getting my comments from people other than relatives...it was beyond thrilling! :)

I think when I was first getting started I thought about quitting a few times...feeling guilty and too self-indulgent. I worried that my blog would come across as "all about me." I'm over it now. :) Glad you're not thinking of quitting!!!

That Girl said...

I just wrote a similar post this week to get a feel for how people felt about blogs.
http://lifeofsunshineandrainbows.blogspot.com/2009/03/lets-talk-blogs.html

I agree that commenting--give and take is crucial to a blog.

Anonymous said...

i love blogging and can't imagine ever NOT wanting to do it. the online friends i've made (and would love to someday meet) mean a lot to me, and along with my real-life friends who read my blog, they've gotten me through this last year, which was rough because of the death of my mother. their comments also make me feel sane when i bring up crazy things my three boys do!

love your blog, and i'm glad i found it via RIMD.

Rachel said...

I try to keep finding new blogs to read too. Each week it seems another favorite is going away...going private...or just not posting anymore. It's sad. It feels like they moved away.

Unknown said...

I started my blog several years as a way to share photos with my extended family, then forgot about it. I wasn't reading other blogs and didn't have a friend list. Then a good friend at church was telling me about her blog and her kids blogs and their friends and their friends...and I started up writing and following them and now spend way too much time doing this. But I love it, I love it! I love finding people who share my interests--strangers or no! And I love telling ridiculous stories about my childhood. My husband and family encourages me. It's fun!

The awesome Christian community who blog has been an encouragement to me.

Rachel said...

I'm a new blogger, and sometimes when it seems like no one is reading it's hard to justify spending the time. I'm definitely a 'words of affirmation' girl, so I absolutely love comments. Just knowing something I said motivated someone to hit that comment button, makes it well worth the time spent. At the same time, I don't want that to be my only motivation... It's a struggle, at times.

Thanks for posting this encouragement!

Mindy said...

have just discovered your blog, Kristen...and i must say...BLOG ON!! :) so enjoying you...

Anonymous said...

I'm fairly new to this blogging world, too, and I've been amazed by the intimate connections you can make out there. I get few comments, and I admit there are times I wonder why I'm spending so much time on this, so your post comes at just the right time for me. Thank you!

Charlotte said...

You are always SO encouraging! I started a 'mommy' blog, but it became a personal blog as a way to emotionally sort through some big changes that are happening in my life now. I don't really expect people to relate. I was surprised to get an email stating how my words had encouraged another person, going through some similar things.
To make a point :) I really enjoy your words and you encourage me!

Anne said...

Very well said! Many times I forget that there is a silent audiencce out there. Comments are so rewarding. Thanks for the motivation!

Buffie said...

I enjoy blogging. It is a creative outlet for me and something that I look forward to.

However, there have been times when I have thought about stopping. For me it is mostly a time issue. With all of the obligations I have there are times when it's difficult to find the time for blogging that I feel I need. So far I have kept at because I enjoy it so much and I hope that I don't stop. There are those times when it's hard though.

Moi said...

It seems the blog deleting bug has been going around to quite a few the past month or so - you click on their link and they have some long goodbye message. I hate it! I miss them when their gone and you really do feel like a friend has moved away. A lot of my readers dont blog either so sometimes i feel like my blog is pretty unsuccessful in terms of commenters - but for me I still love it and I love to go visit others...which is what I am out and about doing today! great post!

Stephanie said...

It is a fun world for a girl like me who used to be very social and after kids became very non-social. There are days when reading a blog is my only form of adult conversation. So sad.

I don't know that anyone reads my blog...a couple of people maybe, but that isn't really why I blog. It is an outlet for me. I get to talk...without being interupted. And I get to journal the things that go on with the kids that I know I would forget. I really enjoy it and while I don't get to it everyday...I hope to work up to everyday. But just for me. My blogging is totally selfish. As mom's I think we can agree there isn't much we get to do just for ourselves.

Amber D. said...

I hope to keep blogging. I have so much fun with it even though I run out of things to say quite often. My dream would be as successful as you and some others. How nice it would be to have 70+ comments on one post like you do on this one right now!

I recently had someone who shut down her two blogs and it was a very wierd feeling to be "losing" someone!

Anita said...

I love blogging, but it definitely takes time and planning. I find that I am thinking about new posts throughout the day and then forget about them or don't have time to sit and formulate my thoughts into a clear post. I mainly blog to keep the extended family up on our activities, but also to share some of what I am constantly learning as we live daily together as a large homeschooling family.

Cindy said...

The reason of having a blog is different for everyone of us..... depending on the reason can calculate how long that person will be blogging....

Mine is a journaling experience, others are for professional reasons, others are for an explicit detail in their life, others may just like to receive comments. If a profession goes away, so goes away the blog, if that explicit detail goes away, so goes away the blog, no comments, so goes away the blog.

Some feel they're having a change in the direction of their life, delete the blog, create a new one to go in that direction.........

It would be nice to take their current blog friends with them, to help them out in the new direction -- or to simply leave the old blog up with a forward to the new blog..... blogging (for the most part) is free....

Enough rambling on your comment section!! I love your blog and check it daily, I don't always comment, but it is read. Please don't stop blogging for lack of comments!

Anonymous said...

I am a new reader of your blog and I love it! I too believe in comments being a huge part of having a blog. I've been blogging for a few months now and am loving it. I would say it is mostly friends and family who read my blog and most of them are pretty shy about commenting or don't really understand how it works. So yes, some days I do feel like I am talking to myself. :) But that is ok! It is a creative outlet for me and I adore it! I hope to be blogging for a long, long time to come!

Tracey said...

Enjoyed this post! I have been reading blogs for months now, but only recently started my own. I'm encourgaed to hear that it only took you a year (and a lot of hard work, I know!!) to get to where you are!

Kim H. said...

That is so true! I am amazed everytime I start to make a new blog friend how interesting this communtiy is... and I love that there are so many women out there ready to share their lives and loves with others.

I blog because it gives me the writing outlet that I crave until someday - I possibly get published in some form. It also gives me a way to keep family and friends updated about what's going on without having to send the same email a million times... and it gives them the freedom to choose how much or how little they want to know - without filling their inbox. I never dreamed of the additional friends and support that I've recieved... but it certainly keeps me going and gives me renewed strength.

Alice said...

Gotta say I understand about the disappointment and not knowing if anyone is looking at what you post. That is why I added the counter at the bottom of my page. It lets me know that I'm not wasting my time, that someone looked - even though there might only be 1 or 2 comments.

I started blogging to share my photos with a couple family members and a few church friends. Yes, I have made some friends that I know I probably will never meet face to face, but they are friends in heart and that's awesome!

I just found your blog recently (through Bake at 350 :O)) and really enjoy following your posts. Thanks for taking time out of your busy days to share with us. It's something I look forward to whenever I sit down at the computer :O).

Jaden Paige said...

Sometimes I question the significance of my words, my posts, whether they are being read or heard or accepted (or not!)... But then I remember why I started blogging in the first place: I didn't have time for scrap booking anymore and needed a new way to document our lives... To keep track of and preserve memories for both myself and my daughter to have someday. So I keep on, whether or not other people connect with it, because in the end- while it's great to get that affirmation and the companionship is a totally unexpected bonus of the blogworld- I do it for me. :)

Cheryl said...

I've been blogging since 2001. I try to blog about intelligent stuff sometimes, but there are days when nothing comes. I really want to be able to write better.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a blogger, but would like to be. It'd be great to have a place to keep all the crazy things my kids do or say every day. You know...the things you think you'll NEVER forget and by the next week (or day) they've escaped your memory! I just don't even know where to begin in the blogging world, so commenting on others blogs will have to satisfy me for now! Love your blog! So glad you're sticking around!

Unknown said...

I love my blog. I love keeping a record of my life, for my family and my children.

I love meeting new blog friends, and feeling inspired by the lovely people of the world.

Thank you for your blog!

Anonymous said...

I started blogging almost two years ago. At first, it was a way for me to have grown-up thoughts - after spending all day everyday with two toddlers, I felt like my brain was turning to mush.

Then it turned into a way for my family to see what my kids were up to. Since most of the family lives several hours away, it allowed them to see the boys grow, see what made them laugh, and what their Mom had to say about it.

I'll admit that most of what I posted was for the benefit of my grandmother. When she passed away last August, I lost all zeal for my blog, well really lots of things, but the blog is the item that has suffered the most. I thought about shutting it down because one of my standing rules for the blog is to "Be Positive." I found it difficult to be positive when I felt like part of me was missing, and putting up a brave front to "fake it" just isn't something I could do.

Now, I guess I just have to figure out new the purpose of my blog. Then, maybe I'll be able to move forward more confidently.

Penny said...

I blog because I love writing, and I have lots of opinions, haha!

I hate it when one of my bloggy friends says they're going on a hiatus, cause it's like, "But, but...when are you going to be back?" I miss them! I understand why they need a break, but I miss their blogs and knowing about them.

Melissa said...

Great post! I'll echo what so many (78 of us ... wow!) said. It's sad when someone we have come to know stops blogging, or posts infrequently. It IS like losing a friend or having one move away. Personally, I'm hoping to never stop blogging ... I'm enjoying this more than I ever imagined. I like seeing the directions this takes, the friendships and the opportunities that arise as a result.

Yours was one of the first blogs I read, and I'm grateful for the comments you've left on mine. Glad you're not going anywhere! :)

Lorie said...

I would be very sad if you or some of the other blogs I read left.

Anonymous said...

Great post. I have often thought giving up, due to lack of commenting, etc. but also because I am busy with real life. Personally I just get knocked down a notch when I comment and contribute to other blogs and never hear back from people. However, I understand being busy, but not to get a response even when you ask a question. So, I for one, get discouraged.

Oftentimes the lack of response is from an established writer of a successful blog. I often wonder how they became successful when commenting is not important to them.

Connie said...

Oh dear. I've never commented here because, you don't know me, and I feel like a stalker. But after reading this last post, I went into a panic, and hope you never stop blogging. I love your posts, and insight, and humor.

Thanks for uplifting me every morning. Keep up the posts!!

The Wilcoxson's said...

I hope that I do not blog. It is a way for me to make sure that the moments in my children's lives are not forgotten. Also it makes sure that i have a place to vent and praise God. friends, family and complete strangers like my blog because they are glad that they do not have 5 children under the age of 3.

Jane Anne said...

I am taking a blog break right now and only posting on Thursdays. I wanted to do that because I felt as if I was focusing more on my online connections instead of my real life community. So, my break is for me to refocus my priorities. Another thing is that I started my blog for me- as a place to write. I don't like getting caught up in the addiction to comments. That is such a hard thing! I enjoyed your words on this. Stop by Gravity of Motion any time (but of course, I will only be there on Thursdays for a while!).

Rachel@just another day in paradise said...

very good points! I've also wondered why people leave, although I've been having a rough time finding time to blog. . .As someone who isn't read by a lot of people and who hasn't been doing this all that long, thank YOU and others like you. It makes us "small-timers'" day when we get a comment by someone like you, who is successful at this!

Sophy Nextdoor said...

I started blogging just over a year ago. I was in a high stress period of life, which led to a grieving period. My blog was my outlet, my place to yell about the stress or chatter about something completely unrelated to it. Now the stress and the grieving have levelled off, and I'm just....tired. And forgetful. I think about my blog, and I wonder if I actually have something meaningful to say.

Amy@ MomsToolbox said...

I enjoy blogging and I also enjoy reading other blogs.
But finding a balance between my cyber world and people around me world can be a challenge at times.

I want to be sure that I am not neglecting my mom duties to blog about them or my nearby friends for my far-flung friends. I wrestle with how much time I spend on the computer because I want to be sure I have real life face-time, too.

My blogging began as an outlet for my writing and a way to share my cycling training. It has changed into a chronicle of my daily devotions and lots of other momservations and lessons along the way. I like writing it. I like getting responses and I enjoy reading what others have to say on other blogs, as well.

But, like I said, I do have to work at keeping a balance and keeping this a luxury, a fun thing, and not a duty.(Whether that duty be to write, to read or to comment).

Melanie @ Whimsical Creations said...

I started my blog as an extention of my business and it has grown into so much more. I am so happy my family gets to see updates on the kids and I have made so many friends along the way.

Tamara said...

I quit about every month! Actually, in the beginning, I was a little disappointed when I didn't receive comments. I'm a sporadic commenter myself.

But then I realized that I blog for myself...to record things that amuse me or inspire me or things that I've made. Hopefully eventually I'll record the lives of my children. I'm not the writerly type, so I dn't feel compelled to write. I post when I have something to post. If people come to read it, great. If not, that's ok too...because I do it for me.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy reading the comments along with the blogs. I am not very good at commenting myself. But I did this time!

kristin said...

Hi! Found you on Twitter, by checking out someone who followed me. I'm also a Kristin, and I blog.

I blog because here people can choose to read me or move along, unlike being whiny or snarky or funny or bitchy in real life. I don't want to drive away my friends and family. ;-)

I blog because I like the community.

I blog because there's nothing good on TV; or if there is, I want to talk about it. RHoNY anyone?

I blog because I'm made new friends online and have even met some of them.

Anonymous said...

You're so right. My blog readership definitely isn't huge, but I appreciate the HECK out of those who stop by.

I've had blogging hiatuses, too. Sometimes I'm just too busy, sometimes I'm uninspired, and some days I just can't fathom why anyone would want to read the details of MY pathetic little life.

All in all, however, it's still rewarding. And I still jump in and comment whenever I can!

Staci said...

I love blogging and hope I never stop. I know I will look back on these blogging memories for many years to come.

Amanda said...

I actually blog instead of or as my own journal. I write what I want to know and remember, and it doesn't matter to me if others read it or not. If they do and can glean something from it, then great! If not, oh well. I keep a hard copy of my blog in a binder. I print it out about once a week and put it in sheet protectors.

Jodi said...

We have a 2 mo old & a 2.5 year old...lately life has been super busy and blogging has been less of a priority...I hope to do more in the coming days, but it's been the easiest thing to let go lately! Definitely don't want my sweet kiddos to have less quality time with me bc of the net, but it's definitely a danger if I'm not careful!

Annikke said...

I hope to not ever stop. But there are days, like today where I have nothing to blog about. I have a few craft projects, tutorials and recipes to share but haven't taken the pics to go along with those posts yet. So today, so far anyway, I haven't posted. I know some people feel like blogging is a duty and so they give up. I enjoy reading and posting and hope I never have to quit.

Jen Milne said...

I am a newbie blogger and I know just what you mean about those first encouraging comments from friendly strangers. I got into this totally by accident. I never thought I had anything to say. I just wanted a way to post the kids' video thank-you's to family members after Christmas!

I depend on my online friends that I fist met in a christian forum. We now also share our lives thru facebook, twitter, our blogs. These women are my friends. I love them and they love me. I thank God for my little bloggy world and look forward to seeing all that it will bring.

Sarah said...

I love blogging now. Originally I didn't get it. Now I get so excited if I have a comment and a new friend to get to know online. I am a big online person so it fits me well. I am kind of the blend in girl in most social settings until you know me. So as I learn how to walk up and meet people, this is my branch out to get to know people and have support and encouragement in my life. I love learning tips, laughing, feeling normal and encouraging others in their path as well!

Anonymous said...

I started blogging on xanga, and the same thing happened to me. Almost all of my favorite bloggers have stopped blogging. For the record, xanga is much easier to use then blogger and also has the ability to put up private posts specifically for friends to read.

However, it is for a much younger audience. Since my friends had stopped blogging, I started writing for the general public instead of specifically for friends, and because of the changing audience I moved to blogger recently. I blog because I love to write, it helps me process life, and also because I LOVE to read the thoughts of others.

I may stop someday if it gets too busy or the masses just turn to some new venue of communication, but I LOVE blogging now!

Chillee said...

I can't believe you have only been blogging for a year! I love to write words on paper. I am new to the blog thing and want to 'get it right'. I am not perfect, grammatically or otherwise. I just would like to do it. Just got a laptop so, it is just like writing in a notebook. I need a name and design! I have notebooks full of thoughts.

I love reading your stuff.

Jessica said...

How Interesting. Have you checked in on Kimba today at A Soft Place to Land? She is talking about setting priotiries and turing off the distractions. It really is a fine balacing act.

Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed with upkeeping a blog with everything else going on in my life. So, I have slowed down my posting and reading of others. I'm sure I will pick back up again when I'm in a different place becuase I love the friendship too.

Monkey Giggles said...

I blog for several reason... creative outlet, inspiration, connection with others, stepping outside my comfort zone, to be a blessing to others. I have noticed what seems like a trend of bloggers dropping of the blogging radar.

Luke Holzmann said...

Comments let us know that our words have been meaningful in some way. Writing to a void seems pointless.

I'm struggling with that on one of my blogs right now. I've been writing there daily for almost a year now and rarely get any kind of comments. I will admit that I've been considering moving my efforts elsewhere... but I love blogging!

~Luke

Anonymous said...

I am new to the blogging world, and sometimes I feel that I am speaking alone! But then I have a nice comment that makes my day! I blog to stay in touch with family and friends, to share with people and practice my english. I think blogging is something personal, sometimes we put too much importance in the stats.it is not about the stats, it is more about people, life, and personal reward.
I love your blog and your funny way to write daily life. I hope you will never stop blogging! :)

Christibear said...

I'm relatively new and I use my blog for therapy. I think if I didn't get some of this craziness out of me I would explode...then I'd have to clean up the mess myself because all these kids aren't going to do it. They'll just walk over it like they can't even see it and.... hey, maybe I'll blog that! Thanks for writing, it's part of the motivation for other bloggers like me.

Olive Cake said...

It was through the beginning of my blog that I found all my favorites that I read everyday... Tops on my list are Dooce, Bakerella, Cake Wrecks, and We Are THAT Family (which I found through my other favorite, Bake at 350).

My blog is just for me, but you're right... the comments I get, though they be few and far between, are a nice little confirmation that I'm not just talking to myself. :)

Tracey said...

I am new to the blogging world. I just started my blog in Jan 09. It's not that interesting or creative as I intended it to be, but I plan to keep at it. I figure it'll just take some time for people to find you and follow it. I do often wonder if anyone is reading it though. I have to get better about posting more often.

Moore Minutes said...

Thank you for writing this! I just started a blog and it encouraged me to keep at it. <3

Bailey's Leaf said...

I pop into blogs daily, though I don't comment daily. I find the same with the folks that visit my blog. That's why a blog counter is important. While we love the comments and often do blogging out of a therapeutic means of momminess, it's good to see that folks have stopped by.

Why do I blog? I started blogging with the thought of starting an internet store, but I do primarily out of adoption advocacy. Our daughter, K-, is a complete blessing to us. Our road to adoption started out as a tough one. Each adoptive parent has their own story and to tell it might help others or at least make others see that they aren't the only ones. My husband and I have been blessed to help others along with their adoptions, so adding the internet to that list just seemed to make sense.

Thanks for reminding us to give some bloggy love!

Amanda from Faith, Food and Family said...

What a great post! I TTA about commenting. It makes such a difference. Take it from a very new blogger. It thrills me to see a comment left on my blog. You know people are really reading what you wrote when they comment.

Hopefully I will never stop blogging. I am actually planning on attending Blissdom next year. I had just started blogging when I found out about it and it was sold out.

I love to read blogs and definitely love to blog!
Thanks for such an awesome post!
God bless,
Amanda

Melissa said...

i could NEVER run out of words! :) i just run out of time more often than not. it needs to become a priority.

MahoneyMusings said...

Wow! You really hit a chord with all of us bloggers judging from all the comments so far! I completely agree with everyone. Some days blogging feels exactly like motherhood...doing endless work with NO recognition! Getting a comment on my blog is comparable to an unexpected leg hug from my two year old.

Anonymous said...

Wow at all the comments! I love blogging...some of the time. I have to agree with Colleen4 above me here...Great analogy Colleen. I rarely get comments, but I can see from my stats I have readers. I just started a Mr Linky blog "carnival" at my site today and so far no participants :/ But that's ok...I'll wait for that unexpected "hug"
GREAT post!

Anonymous said...

Wow at all the comments! I love blogging...some of the time. I have to agree with Colleen4 above me here...Great analogy Colleen. I rarely get comments, but I can see from my stats I have readers. I just started a Mr Linky blog "carnival" at my site today and so far no participants :/ But that's ok...I'll wait for that unexpected "hug"
GREAT post!

Carrie said...

I blog just to get my thoughts out. I really don't think anyone really reads my blog because I have very few comments. It doesn't really matter though. I enjoy doing it.

Dawn said...

Amen! I'm glad to have "met" you through blogging.

I'll never forget the first time you commented on my blog (OMGoodness *SHE* commented on *MY* blog!!!) and then you even emailed me, too.

I hope you blog for a long, long time to come!

Blessings!
The other Texas Welch wife

Unknown said...

I have two blogs, and am hoping they last forever. :) I do go through dry spells though - burn out, if you will.

I do enjoy writing though, so hopefully that will persist through everything!

Double Trouble said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Double Trouble said...

found your blog two days ago and am loving it!

I started blogging because I needed to make sense of my crazy SAHM life with twin boys. Needed to find a way to laugh about myself instead of cry. Needed to put something of myself out there and feel.. important... loved... appreciated. For what my life really was. So when I don't get the comments and validation, yes, it stings-- especially when the people who give me a hard about not blogging don't comment!

I hate that the rewards of commenting are what keep me going, but at the end of the day, I don't wanting to be taking my precious little free time to put my heart and soul out into a vacuum of nothingness.

Not to be a downer or anything! :)

It's Always Something Around Here said...

I am pretty new to blogging and have gone back and forth on my feelings about blogging. I enjoy the comments, but don't feel very successful at blogging. I read other blogs that are witty and I feel inferior to them! ALso feel I have nothing to write about. But I love reading other people's blogs.

Charlotte said...

This is so great... I am going to link to it today.

jennschmerer said...

I couldn't agree more. It completely makes my day when I have total strangers comment on my blog. Or is VERY discouraging when I put my heart and soul into a post and get ZERO comments. It does make you feel like quitting sometimes. But there are good days. I really enjoy your blog- keep at it!

Christie O. said...

I love blogging. It's my only writing outlet. And you're so right. The blogs (lives) I have read have such a special place in my life. When they stop, I feel almost lost! Even when a month goes by and there's no update! I do this myself sometimes, when I feel like I pour my heart into posts and get very little feedback, it's frustrating sometimes. You wonder where all your commenters went or if it's a slow month or if people aren't liking what you're saying. But they key is to keep going. Blogging keeps reeling me back in anyhow. I've tried to quit. But it just don't work.

I love your blog though, and it all started with "My teeth have a low self esteem." in which i laughed my arse off.

Glad you're still here! I guess you can say we like you! :) since i'm like the 100th-something commenter!

Precision Quality Laser said...

I blog for me...it's my verbal scrapbook ( I am soooo scrapbooking impaired). I use it to capture my thoughts and the precious moments of my life. It is my method of discovering myself over and over again. This particular subject matter doesn't garner a lot of comments, but like I said, I do it for me no one else.

And PLEASE...don't EVER stop blogging...I come to your blog every day!

Amy said...

I just started blogging consistently and it is fun but you do feel like you are talking to yourself sometimes. It is exciting to get comments and know that someone actually read what you wrote!!

jo said...

I don't scrapbook or creative memory or journal or hardly anything worthwhile like good mothers do. I blog. What is that? Is the power of being heard - a little all consuming? Hmm. Its also a great outlet to keep in touch with friends and family. Not to mention fun. I can't imagine I'll blog forever. But for now - I enjoy it.

Joy@WDDCH said...

I blog for perspective on my life, sometimes to get opinions from other women, and to feel important in my little part of the universe. I also blog for my kids since hand-writing in their journals is often forgotten.

There are days I don't feel like writing anything but I can't imagine not blogging at all!

Ali said...

I just started my blog in January and I wish I would have started a year before so I could have documented my son's first year of life this way. Blogging is such a neat tool, I hope I can keep it up for a long time, even if it comes down to a couple posts a week. I am really bad at keeping a journal and I am not into scrap booking, but this is something I can do! I really enjoy it. Thanks for the great post, I know I would miss a lot of people if they stopped blogging, I hope they never do!

Kristin - The Goat said...

There is a blog that I found last year just a few days before she stopped blogging. I got worried, very worried because they were out of the country traveling. She was documenting each stop. I spent several days reading backwards - loving their trip...then it stopped. It's been a year now. The blog is still there and not a single word written. I still keep it in my reader.

I also have met some blogging folks who just say "I'm done" or "online takes up too much time" I always feel really sad when the person feels like the blogging community is just disposable. I'm sure they don't think that, that's just how I feel - I feel tossed out.

I try to comment at least once a week on the blogs that I faithfully read. I go through the WFMW posts and I try to comment on 20 - 50 blogs because that's the community where I learned about blogging. It was a year ago when I first stumbled on WFMW and it was because I wanted to be a part of it, that I decided to really start blogging.

I do feel sad when people leave blogging. I don't plan on leaving it for a very very long time. You all are stuck with me!

runninggal said...

Ho funny! Just last week I posted that I am done!! Done, caput, finished with blogging!

But, I keep doing it, cause I too found that I missed my readers, and seeing others blogs!

AnnetteK said...

Some of my favorite blogs have disappeared this year too. It is like losing a friend. How nice of you to help new bloggers out. I remember how exciting it was when I started getting my first real comments.

TidyMom said...

I agree! I feel so lost when a blog that I follow just vanishes....poof it's gone.

I like the idea of leaving comments on new blogs! I try and get to blogs that leave comments on my blog too!

Keep on Blogging girl friend!!

~TidyMom

Adventures of a Country Girl said...

Well, I just started blogging. I'm not very sure of myself yet. I write a post, and post it. Then a day later, it sounds silly, or I'm in a different mood, so I end up deleting it.

Innkeeper Seely said...

I've only been blogging a few months. My spouse posts too which helps a lot. I fear that our posts will dwindle during the crush of July and Aug. My peers convinced me that blogs on the inn's web site were a good thing for marketing purposes but I refuse to use it as a non-stop advertisement for my B&B like some people do. I'd much rather keep it light and let potential guests get a feel for us as human beings before they decide to book a room. (Lots of first time B&B guests fear the unknown. Now they can at least realize we are pretty relaxed and sometimes just goofy.)

It has been fun reading blogs outside of the innkeeping world. Not too many people comment on my blog but my stats counter shows a high number of hits and an increasing number of people that have me bookmarked. I would certainly miss my favorite blogs if they dropped out.

Melissa said...

I love love love your blog. In fact you are the inspiration for me to blog. I come here almost every day to see what you guys are up too. And the few time you have commented on my blog I felt like a rockstar. I know my family reads my blog but they don't comment. I have a few great friends who do and that is enough. I mostly like the idea of journaling for my family our simple everyday things.
PS my hubby reads you too!

Heather of the EO said...

At first I blogged only for myself and people who know me in real life. I honestly had no idea strangers would ever read it. Then the strangers became friends. And for the most part, now they are the reason I blog. To connect, to make someone laugh or think, to encourage...you get the idea.

I don't want to quit because it's my outlet, my encouragement, my creativity. And I learn so much from the beautiful people I've met. I understand why people do quit though, sometimes it's just not that important to them or their feeling conflicted about why they do it. I've felt those things and I'm hoping to stick with it and work out how to do it in a healthy way.

Now I just wrote a book...see? I can't stop. Apparently.

Heather of the EO said...

And I used the wrong THEIR. And of course I have to say that I know it's THEY'RE because I know my theirs/theres/they'res...

STOP, Heather! STOP!

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

Well, I am so glad you never want to stop, because truly, I would feel as if I had lost a dear friend.

I do love blogging...and I love the community. I love that my experiences...some minuscule...others...some heavy stuff, can actually have a positive impact on others.

But some times I need breaks from blogging...a lot of what I write about is deeply personal and some times I heart just needs to breath.

I do love comments...they spur me on, but I've tried really hard to get by without them. About 3 months ago, I gave all my readers a guilt free pass--I still have it on my side bar, But I'll confess I have to remind myself often that it is OK, because going from 40 some comments a post to 9...was tough to swallow at first. But it's all good...because it's all for God's glory, not mine.

joyh82 said...

I enjoy your blog and many others. I know what you mean about clicking on a blog and it being gone. It's like a friend gone missing or something.

LunaMoonbeam said...

I blog because my kids are cute. I figure I'm covered for the next 15 years or so!

Lori said...

Thanks for sharing...I often wonder if anyone reads what I write, why I do it...but something in me just keeps going, even if I'm not very consistent b/c of our schedule.
Thanks for sharing!!!

Jerralea said...

Several reasons I blog 1) I wanted to increase my writing skills and 2) I really hope that God uses me to touch someone's life 3) and sadly also because I'm a "words of affirmation" girl, and I feel like I live for comments. (Is that bad?) So far, the most I've ever had is 16 comments for one post ...

I do try to comment on several blogs a day. And I have to admit I've gotten addicted to doing memes.

I enjoy blogging even though I'm technologically challlenged and there are still lots of things I don't know.

I always hope that my kids will read my blog, but they are not interested at all. In fact, I can hardly ever get my irl friends and family to read it.

And yet, I can't imagine not blogging!

I would really miss the people who write my favorite blogs if they quit. I check blogs every day. I have a couple right now that haven't posted in a few weeks and I keep hoping they come back!

I have to say that your blog and Rocks in My Dryer were the first two blogs I found and started commenting on. You guys are the best! Please don't stop.

Amy said...

I just got serious about blogging back in January, it was my new year's resolution to blog every day, even if it was short and someone else's carnival, because I want to better document our life. I don't scrapbook, so this was the closest thing I could come up with.

I'm lovin' it! I'm not sure I'll make it through the whole year, blogging every day. But I am sure that blogging is pretty much my new favorite past time and even if no one else sees what I have to say I'm really enjoying saying it anyway. :)

Jessica D. said...

I like to try and find new blogs to read and met people too! I try and comment on them as well. It makes my day when I get a comment by someone I don't know.

I'd be honored if you'd stop by my blog and let me a comment!!

Audrey said...

To be honest, I read sooooo many blogs every day, and I rarely comment any of them. I feel bad for it, but I just never know what to say!

Anonymous said...

I'm new to the blogging world myself. I've been blogging for a couple of months and love it. What's more, I love reading other's blogs. I rarely get comments, but that's ok. My family has been encouraging me to write for years, so my blogging started as a gift for them. :)

Kimberly said...

WOW! Check out how many comments you got with this post! That is awesome! YOU GO GIRL!!!!

I agree. I have become fond of several blogs that just disappear for one reason or another, which is so sad. I'm sure they had their reasons so they can't be faulted for it.

Sometimes I feel that no one cares to read what I write about. I do get comments from time to time, which I value GREATLY. It's always great to know that someone read what you wrote and thought enough to comment, whether it's good, bad or for another reason.

I try and comment on blogs too. I know how great I feel when people leave me comments and I'd love to make others feel great about their blogs too by doing the same.

Thank you for your wonderful post and for getting everyone to comment on it. I bet you didn't expect it would be such a powerful post.

Kimberly
SheScribes "dot" com

Abra Clampitt said...

I am very new to the blogging world and totally understand the need for comments! I get so excited when I have even one. No, really. But the other funny thing is, even if I don't have comments I still write because I do it for myself too. Ya know? I like blogging and hope to stick with it!

Anonymous said...

I am a new "blog reader/follower. I found yours through one of the other bloggers that I have been reading. It is an ADDICTION. I am a member of your families - and I would be very sad if you just "went away" Also, from what I have read to date on your blog, I think you are brilliant.

Anonymous said...

I'm visiting for the first time and you really caught my interest with this post. I wonder the same thing about people who just suddenly stop and you never hear from again.

I think time is probably one of the keys. I am amazed at the young mother bloggers who manage to post just about every day. When I was in that position, I had other things to occupy my mind -- like where's the other sock and what can I make for supper!

BlueCastle said...

I've been blogging for a year now, too, and yes, many of the blogs I loved have disappeared. Most without any warning at all. I still think about these women, wondering if they're okay, what they're doing, etc.

I agree - commenting is very important. I feel guilty if I don't comment when I visit a blog, so I comment a lot. The only other thing more disappointing is being a consistent commenter to a blog and never having your comments returned. This is also something I work hard to do - make sure every commenter gets a return visit and comment from me. I think it goes a long way to creating a sense of community.

Michelle said...

I took a blogging hiatus, then missed it too much and my wonderful hubby re-created every word from his RSS feeder. I left because I had some old "friends" who were bordering on stalking. So when I came back I made my blog private.

I think it's easy to get burned out when every word is being scrutinized.

Momnerd said...

I was wondering just the other day if my readers would miss me if I just disappeared. If something happened to me my husband wouldn't know how to let all of my readers know. I hope to blog my entire life. Great post!

Anonymous said...

Girl, are you talking to me? I certainly hope so. I stopped blogging for a few reasons. I really had thoughts of grandeur and figured I would be wildly popular. I was not.

I felt I didn't have a focus really and I wondered if the funny stories I was writing about my family would one day embarrass them. I chose to be anonymous because I didn't want anyone in my real life to know I had such thoughts, struggles, mood swings. That's not the type of authentic person I want to be. I'm trying to focus more on God and becoming a better person and I don't know if that's for sharing.

I have such few boundaries with blogging. It became a complete time suck. Blog. Twitter. Facebook. I used it as an escapism. I kept reading more and more people. People who were just so dang good. Better.

Also, Little Professor is really struggling and is a huge focus of my mental capacity and although I want to write about it just to get it out of my head, I don't think that would be fair to him.

And did I mention that I am having huge baby bangs? Actually child bangs. We started looking into fostering, then adoption, then international adoption. Because now that I don't blog, I can expand my family.

Truly, I'm crazy. See why I can't still blog?

I miss you, too. (If you weren't talking about me, I feel like a total idiot.)

Anonymous said...

PS- I'm still in contact with Heather from Jville. She still is amazing and humbles me. That woman never complains.

~*Michelle*~ said...

I blog to get out what is going on in my head.....(scary place sometimes, lol)....or something that is weighing on my heart. Most of the time it is to reflect on God and what He is doing in my life. Sometimes, it's just to laugh at myself....

I don't have a timeline in mind....I hope I am filled with things to talk about for a long time.

Shannon said...

I too have seen some of my favorite blogs simple stop updating or disappear. I started blogging to keep in touch with family and friends back home in TX when my husband took a job that sent us overseas. Found out they were maybe the least likely to read my blog. Then it morphed into a creative outlet. The last month I have been in a blogging slump, even thought about just giving up but there are too many days when the community of friends on the internet have saved my sanity. I will keep blogging but I am not sure what my blog will look like in the future. Time will tell.

Kristen said...

Y'all have blessed me with these comments today!

Michelle @ The Virtual Assistant said...

While I don't blog, I hope to soon and I really enjoyed reading your article.....! Keep up the good work and I hope you get comments all the time!

Sharon said...

Who knows why others stop blogging? It could be any reason under the sun but I can completely relate that it leaves you feeling....well, lost and lonely, without a friend. And without an answer. The discontinuance of any relationship is very hard, without a reason, it is doubly difficult. It is like a sudden death. Painful and unanswered. I enjoy blogging and the new world that it has brought me. It motivates my writing, my decorating, my parenting, my spirit. Thank YOU for blogging so well! I love your blog and am quite sure, you would be a good friend too!! :)

Chris and Emily said...

I just recently found your blog and I have to say this post was just so true. I have been blogging for about 3 years...started as a way for me just to track my first born and for out of town family....got a little bigger when our 2nd son was diagnosed with a fatal disorder at our 20 week ultrasound and a whole new blogworld opened up to me... now I'm somewhere in between but find blogging to be so therputic and I love my blogworld friends.

Enjoying your blog.

Anonymous said...

I started blogging just to get my words and thoughts out. I never really thought that anyone would be too interested in what I have to say. (I am not nearly as interesting as your family!) But I have found that I have a few loyal viewers and a few loyal lurkers (though I sure wish that they would comment!)

I guess that I will stop when I run out of things to say. Which, knowing me, may never happen!

Musings of a Housewife said...

Honestly, I cannot imagine not blogging. CAN NOT IMAGINE. :-) So I feel the same as you when someone stops blogging.

And I love that you comment on new blogs every week! I comment on all of the blogs that link in to my carnival and I love getting to know new bloggers that way.

Meeting you at Blissdom was a highlight! I'm so glad we got to have dinner together.

Kristen@nosmallthing said...

I love blogging...I love to tell my stories about my family, my life, my idiosyncracies. I hope I never stop, but I have slowed down lately. Just too busy. And somethings gotta give. And it has been the blogging. The upside to that? My house is a little cleaner!

But I understand feeling like a failure because I don't get the comments. Then I remind myself that it's not all about the comments. It's about touching people in some way--so that they laugh, or cry or learn something. Or just feel like they're not alone.

And that's what I love.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this post. I happened upon it completely by chance (because I am a blog-scouter-stalker??) and, as a blogger of just a few months, it was very encouraging and inspiring. I am so thrilled when I get a comment or two...I don't feel as much like I'm chatting up the ether, even though blogging for me is as much of a creative outlet as it is a way to stay connected with people. Sometimes people I know will call me up and personally comment on a post, so I know they're reading, but there's really something to be said for the written affirmation.

Thanks for that--
hintonrae.wordpress.com

Vintage Dutch Girl said...

I just took an impromtu bloggy break, but it feels AWESOME being back...like catching up with an old friend over coffee. :)

I have to remind myself that if I don't post daily it's OK!

Kirstin said...

great post Kristen. I think commenting is a biggie and while I began blogging for fun and to keep family and friends updated on life, I quickly got sucked in and wanted more. I enjoyed browsing through blogs and gaining new friendships. And I even get sad when I don't receive any comments )C; or wish that I even had more than 4 comments. I never have a desire to quit as I just love connecting with more people around the world.

Anonymous said...

I blog because it is fun to share my work with others. Unfortunately I do feel like it's barely read. I will continue to blog, but am amazed by how fast your blog boomed. That's great!

kris said...

WOW, you so got it! I often wonder if it's worth it... I have a few regular commenters, but I know some visit, but leave with nary a word, why?? I can't read a blog without saying something, anything, just so you know I've read what you had to say... keep it up! Now get to answering 168 comments! HA!

Lisa said...

Wow, thanks for such a wonderful post! I just started blogging this month and don't really have a direction yet. I'm so amazed at all the really fantastic blogs out here in this "parallel world"! I just hope I can be one of them someday!

Unknown said...

I just happen upon your blog...I check out blogs now and then when I have a free minute. You are so right, there are lots of blogs I look at and don't comment on...I feel weird...but I would hate to see some of them gone when I click on them. I started blogging last year when I went through a rough patch in my marriage. I didn't get many visitors so I just quit. Maybe I should start up again...who knows. I just know that I enjoy looking at other blogs and seeing how inspirational they are...just wish I could provide some type of inspiration to others. Thanks for your blog!

Ashlee said...

I have to say that I began blogging in March of 2004. Then I got married and changed jobs to begin teaching full time, added on grad school and I just didn't have the time to blog anymore. Then I had my son and I am staying home with him and I have picked up blogging again. So sometimes our lives just get to busy to blog about them, unfortunately. Because blogging is a nice way to take some time out and reflect on your life and things that matter. Anyway, I'm sure there are various reasons for stopping & starting.

Superchikk said...

I blog more for myself than anyone else. Don't get me wrong, I do LOVE to get comments.

I don't think I'll ever stop, even when it becomes uncool. It's such a great way for me to put my thoughts in a concrete form.

Anonymous said...

I started my blog as a way to share my life and the little things that I get to enjoy about my son everyday that our relatives who live far away don't get to experience. I'm super new to the whole blogging experience, but I LOVE finding a good blog to read, and I've thoroughly been enjoying yours. Thanks for the reminder to leave comments. I know I love when I get comments, although mine is more of a family blog. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

This blog really touched me. I think it's hard when you feel your voice isn't being heard. For me, I started my blog as a way to keep writing after I quit my job as a reporter to take care of my son full-time.

I love to hear advice about how to make a blog get more traffic. Commenting is the perfect piece of advice. Not to mention, hyperlinking and commenting in your own blog about posts on other sites. Keep up the good work. I think we all should share the love and visit one anothers' sites. Just the comments here alone a great way to start getting to know the blogging community out there.

Lots of love!

-- Ivy

Shauna said...

I love to have "known" you from the days this blog was a Mac hosted blog...oh the good ole days... :)

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I just wanted to let you know I'm glad you're here. I'm a pretty new reader and found your blog from the bloggy giveaway's carnival (that 100 Land's End gift card really caught my eye;)

Anyway, I've been reading since then and really enjoy your posts.

This May is my third blogging anniversary and I can't imagine stopping anytime soon. I know what you mean about feeling like a friend moved away when other bloggers close up shop.

Take Care,

Trixie

Mab said...

I am pretty new to the blogging world- haven't quite blogged one year. At first I wanted to have a way to show far away family and friends What is up with us/our family but after starting to read other blogs and then starting to post, I am working on getting more depth of myself out there... I have also been truly inspired to really start taking pictures again and have to say I took a break when I broke my last camera before my darling husband bought me a new one.
I know what you mean about someone who just stops blogging- it is like a friend that leaves and it hurts a little.
Thanks for the reminder on blogging.

tammy said...

I know I love comments, so I try to comment on all the blogs I visit. :) I hope to be able to keep my blog going for a long time and to still have people stop by and say "hi". It's fun to write and document a bit of our world and I have a hope that somewhere along the way I share something that is of value to someone. Whether it be a recipe, a gentle reminder, encouragement, a laugh, an idea, a website link, whatever. And the comments just keep me going. :) Remember to share the comment love whenever you visit a blog. The writer does care!!

Anonymous said...

I love what you wrote. I've been blogging for a while but only recently have I opened it up publicly and really tried to effect change with what I'm thinking and writing. I don't have a lot of followers and rarely does anyone comment but I think your motivation is spot on in hoping that we reach even those who don't let us know they were there. I touch on everything from our family's battle with Gluten intolerance to green issues and I know that there are people out there looking for the same info! Thanks for inspiring me to keep on blogging even on the days when it feels like I'm talking to myself!

Lilypad Mom said...

I just took a month break from blogging. Part of it was the lack of comments, I started blogging to keep my family up to date on my daughter, and the lack of comments made me wonder if it was really worth it.

But after taking the time off I've realized that my reason for blogging changed. I was never good at keeping a journal and did not do a good job of keeping up with her baby book. The blog has become my journal of my days with my daughter. So I just started again today.

Unknown said...

We talked about this some at the area blogger dinner I recently co-hosted b/c one of our good blog buddies had made the decision THAT very week to stop blogging. But actually, she has not deleted her blog and has posted a couple of times since.

Her reasoning was simply because she has a young son at home and she didn't want to spend his early years at the computer instead of with him and the rest of her family.

I get that but I don't think I myself could ever just completely stop/quit.

My point in all of this is that I think everything is cyclical and bloggers will come and go because it's pretty easy for them to do so. It's free to set up a blog and some have no issue with saying "bye, bye." I am not one of those people. Although I'm sure my blogging time will be cut at least in half in Oct. when my third child is born, at this point I can't imagine just quitting.

P.S. Hope you stick around for a long, long time! : )

Unknown said...

I know... I'm back!

I also meant to say that if I quit I would miss this community IMMENSELY. I honestly think it was invented for SAHMs! ; )

K, I'm done. promise.

Multi-tasking Mommy said...

I know that right now, I'm not blogging anywhere near as much as I would like due to being busy! I do have to say that it is frustrating when people don't comment--sometimes it's the comments that truly do motivate you to keep blogging!

Lisa said...

Wow, Kristen! What a great post - I had no idea your blog was just a year old, congratulations! I have wanted to quit so many times, mainly because of frustration over comments and the who time management thing that I am soooo bad at! But then when I go back and read what I've written, I keep going and I'm glad I have. The blog is such a great journalling tool.
Although 189 comments would be nice too... ! ;)

maine momma of 3 (formally: stayathomemommy from maine) said...

I have felt this way! Both the bloggers who stop blogging and the wondering if my blog is read. I'm glad you addressed it.
BTW...I just found your blog! I love it! I too am a part of "That Family"!!

Anonymous said...

With 186 comments, sounds like you've come a long way, baby!

I try hard to read other people's blogs, and love to leave them a comment to "make their day". But I suppose time - as it is with any family - is precious, so I mostly like to write. I have so much crap up there in my brain that just wants OUT, but I suppose at some point the words will just run out, or life itself will take over.

When one of those things happen, it's nice to know I might actually be missed!!

Anonymous said...

I feel lucky in the fact that I love comments and traffic on my blog, but I also know I blog for ME. I need to blog, it helps get my head clear and it gives me the opportunity to look back on what I have or in some cases have not accomplished...ha! Don't you even think about going away.

Anonymous said...

This post rings so true!! It isn't about popularity, it is about the connection with others.

Everyone who is reading this, please keep this in mind when you read someone's blog. Take just a second to comment - even if it is just a "hi" comment so that the writer knows that you are there. The smallest amount of encouragement goes a very long way!!

Beth said...

This post is brilliant. I blog because I like to write, and also because I want to share that with the world. My blog's not popular at all. My first comment from a stranger was from the Ultimate Blog Party, and I was pretty darn excited :)

Weavin' Wicker Woman said...

Wow! Kirsten did you ever get a lot of comments on this one--190 so far, now it's 192.

I absolutely love your blog and the layout, it's soooo much fun to read and now I've also started following you on Twitter.

I've been blogging now since 2004, primarily on the craft topics I'm interested in and have developed into my business. It started out to be more of a business blog covering topics on wicker repair, chair caning and basketry primarily.

But after all those years, I began to run out of steam. Before beginning the blog and until just last year, I also was publishing a monthly ezine as a contact and update for my website. I had over 800 subscribers and there too, ran out of steam after nine years of publishing a continuous monthly ezine.

By reading your blog and others I'm following, the blogging incentive is back and running strong! There's a new widget I put up recently for Followers, but so far, have NONE! Do me the favor of Following if you could, would certainly help get the ball rolling.

Kudos to such a great blog as yours, you GO girl!

The Wicker Woman-Cathryn Peters
http://wickerwoman.blogspot.com
http://www.WickerWoman.com/

Anonymous said...

Kristen - Love your blog. Yes, the blogging community is very powerful. I have been blogging since 2005, and it started as a place to document my marathon training. Once that was over, I really struggled to find my voice. Writing about such a niche subject seemed limiting. Plus, my husband at the time, didn't like the idea of me sharing "my business with the world."

I puttered in and out of my blog - even tried a name change to inspire me. But nothing was more inpsiring than my divorce in 2007! Suddenly I had freedom to write what I wanted.

I found great support through my struggles, and new ways to promote my blog via twitter and Facebook. When I started dating my now fiance, I think he partially fell in love with me because of my blog. All of his friends started reading it and loved it too. As a former journalist, it was so nice to have a place for my voice and acceptance!

Now I have two blogs - www.queenofquirky.com and www.quirkywedding.wordpress.com.

And, I'm going to BlogHer in August! Amazing how things change. :)

The Prudent Patron said...

I write a saving money, deals blog and I don't get an abundance of comments most days. Thank goodness for analytics or I would think I was talking to nobody some days.

I love what one commenter said about it being like a hug. I spend a little time every weekend commenting on blogs and following blogs that interest me, especially new ones. I love to see those follower pictures on my blog, so I figure others would appreciate it as well.

Unknown said...

This was a nice post to read! I just started blogging a couple of months ago. Sometimes I want to stop, but the nice comments here & there keep me going! I definitely think I have a different style than most. When I hear that someone appreciates it, I love it! Thanks for the encouragement. :)

Sprittibee said...

Wow. For a short time blogging, you sure have a smashing conversation going on in the comment section. :) I have been blogging for 5 years and I agree with one of your earlier responses - it is like a 'brain child' and I'm raising it. You can't just give up. However, after having another baby last year, it has gotten more tedious sometimes. I do lapse in days. Maybe I should try your tip I clicked over on today and do some 'bulk blogging' to keep my daily presence up. ;) I'm really bad about pre-posting. I just don't do it.