Last Thursday was the one year anniversary for the Lifting the Weight blog. I began writing the blog last July as a way of dealing with my depression and with the hope that by sharing my journey, I might help encourage others who face similar challenges.

As the year progressed, my depression lightened, and by last December I was finding it hard to keep the focus of my writing on depression because I just wasn’t feeling as depressed any more. I decided to change my tack and began writing more diverse posts. My intent became less about finding a niche and developing a readership, and became more about writing to reflect on my life and hopefully being somewhat entertaining and uplifting to those who read my blog. 

Now that I’m at the one year mark, maybe it’s time to reevaluate my blogging goals again. I think I will take some time this week for reflection on where I’m headed… with writing, with growth as a person, and with my role in the bigger scheme of life (i.e. making a difference in the lives of others). Any (constructive) input you might have in regards to the blog would be appreciated. 
 
No anniversary celebration is worth its salt without a stroll down memory lane. So here are five of my favorite posts (in no particular order) from year one of Lifting the Weight: 
 
The Zen of Campfire Building --  “What had begun as an initial chore to get this whole campfire thing rolling was turning into a continually evolving process of the ebb and flow of flames, the balance and timing in feeding the fire... a delicate dance with nature’s elements.”

Reflections: Past and Present -- "Sometimes when you have no vision for your life, you just have to rely on others’ visions for you. And ultimately, that’s what kept me alive."

Sprinkling  Stardust -- "I’m not into chewing tobacco or wheat germ. And I’m certainly not into stardust. So what do I want to “sprinkle over the lives” of my grandchildren?" 

Psychic  Revelation -- "You see, I just found out that I’m from another planet. Maybe even another star system. It’s a little hard to wrap my mind around the idea, but it would sure explain a lot."

Five Feline Lessons on Life -- "You got something to say? Spit it out. Tactfully, of course. And not on the carpet."
 
I’m looking forward to another year of sharing with you. Thanks for reading. Without you I’d just be talking to myself. Some more.

Happy Fifth of July! I hope everyone in the USA had a safe holiday. I spent the evening at home, hunkered down with my two frightened cats and my two frightened grand-puppies, as the neighborhood around me erupted into a reenactment of the Star-Spangled Banner: “…and the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air…”  It’s a good thing there weren’t any more pets in the house. We ran out of room under the bed. 
 
It’s interesting that we Americans choose to celebrate our freedom from tyranny by making the place sound like a war zone. I wonder if our celebrations might be different if we had selected “America, the Beautiful” as our national anthem. We could decorate the festivities with amber waves of grain. We could dress up to make ourselves look like a fruited plain... Okay, so that might not work. But it seems so much calmer.

Despite the raucous evening, the cats have reemerged from under the bed this morning. The dogs have untucked their tails from between their legs, and I can stop fretting that my roof will be set ablaze by errant fireworks. I guess my household didn’t exactly portray “the home of the brave.”

All of the holiday hullabaloo helps me appreciate the peace and quiet that I usually enjoy in my neighborhood. And, however we choose to celebrate Independence Day, it's also a good reminder or something else we might tend to take for granted: the privilege of living in the “land of the free.”