Monday, January 07, 2008
The value of saying something nice...
Leslie sent me an email forward today, and I read it. It was a lesson in how valuable it can be for people to hear people say nice things about them, to know what it is that people admire about them. With that in mind I thought it would be enjoyable to me to say something nice about each of the people on my blogroll. I'm not going to do them all at once because there's too much to say. I'll go down the list alphabetically and I'll get to everyone eventually.

So we begin with Sunita at ASAAAN. She's a mother of four with a wicked sense of humor. I absolutely love the stories she tells of how she and her husband trash talk to each other. Honestly, he must adore her. She amazes me in her ability to coordinate the schedules of her four children. She's blessed with bright, high-achieving kids so there'll be a calendar full of activities for the foreseeable future. Despite her busy schedule she knits and does creative things with her kids. She feeds her family amazing home-cooked meals and even prepares elaborate bento box lunches for her kids to take to school. I really love when she shares aspects of her Indian culture and upbringing. I know she's not superwoman and that her slavish devotion to her family comes at a price to her sanity sometimes. But she does it all with a sense of humor and admirable stamina. Finally, I'll always cherish the fact that I was the first internet friend (maybe the first person?) who she told she was pregnant with her (surprise!) fourth child. I may have talked her off of a ledge that day. You never know ;)

B is for Blah Blah Babycakes, and Andrea. It's been my pleasure to know Andrea for several years. She's one of my few internet friends who I've actually met. Andrea is a delightful contradiction in that she's urbane, witty, charming and sophisticated, and yet self-deprecating, melancholy and uncertain. When she lived in New York City I enjoyed how she gave me a window on a world totally foreign to my own. We're opposites in so many ways, but that never seemed to be a barrier to understanding each other. I'll always remember the Nanny Jo horror stories. I envy her storytelling and writing skills. Many of her blog posts and stories have left me virtually standing and shouting "Bravo!." I've enjoyed watching her evolve as a mother and grow in confidence as her sweet Henry has developed and thrived under her care. I'm sorry we don't speak as often and I'm secretly sorry she no longer lives in New York City, even though I know moving was the best thing for her family at the time.

I don't actually know Crystal at Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper, but that won't stop me from saying something nice about her. I love her writing and envy, envy, envy her ability to make anything funny. I think she's a great undiscovered talent who deserves more than just praises for her writing abilities. I also envy her cajones for being able to swear and say outrageous things, even though her family reads her blog. She's a fearless writer and reaps the rewards for it. Because she's willing to reveal her insecurities and vulnerabilities, albeit humorously, she forges a connection with her readers who relate to her and her desire to protect herself from the slings and arrows of actually socializing with people. A new post from Crystal is a bright spot in any day. No pressure ;)

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Written at 7:00 PM by Highlandgal.
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