Wishlist...

Greetings all! Just a quick piece regarding my project 'Bracelets For Bravery' I've created a wishlist on Amazon.com consisting of items needed for the project that I'm unfortunately unable to afford right now. A friend suggested that I start one. It took me a long time to finally post it only because it's hard for me to ask for help. But I do know that it does take a village. And so if you're reading this & able to help, I would be forever in your debt. Please share this with people you might think will be interested in helping & encourage them to share it with their friends as well. For those new to my journey & the project itself, I've included the link to the specific entry that discusses the project in detail as well as some other links to check out...In the meantime, stay tuned, new entries coming very soon...I'm eternally grateful to you all for the love, support & kindness you've continually shown me. God Bless you all..<3

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/6MmUQ5o

https://teamhaleyjean.blogspot.com/2017/05/bracelets-for-braverywhats-it-all-about.html

http://www.audacitymagazine.com/mom-and-baby-no-regrets/

https://www.facebook.com/HoorayForHaleyJean/

Pondering...

Happy New Year readers new & old, both near & far. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday & a great start to the new year. If fate justifies the way my new year began by setting the tone, then I'm in for a wild ride. Each year for the last umpteen years I've wished for a strong start. But as luck would always have it, I'd still come up short. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just that I planned to begin this new exciting year without repeating some old habits. Unfortunately, that old habit seemed to follow me just at the stroke of midnight......to present day. So while dealing with the reality of that, I also realized how much I need to spend time with God. It has been a while since I've done that, since the beginning of the month, that's just what I've been doing. Reading my daily devotional "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, referring back to the scriptures the particular piece was derived from & making notes along the way has served as a wonderful emotional retreat. The serenity in reading His word, learning to enjoy the sovereignty of His presence is an unspeakable journey.  Blog post coming soon (at some point in life) about how I came to that crossroad.

So, today I'm coming to you all with a slightly different post. Just some thoughts that's been weighing on my mind I believe are insightful & possibly enlightening to some. It's about sharing your journey online & how knowing the difference between sharing & oversharing may contain some adverse effects. Though experiencing my social media platform, one may come to think that I may be somewhat hypocritical on the subject. I beg to differ. In fact, on the contrary I am a firm believer of balance. Sharing via social media & its cultural impacts on a user reside as an invisible noose, tightening its grip as you subconsciously succumb to its daily pressures to create a post. So much so that one can't seem to see the difference between what information is too much or not enough, which is why, as I mentioned above the importance of understanding the difference between sharing & oversharing is critical.

Nearing 4 years post-child, I watch people document their journeys, I'm saddened to see how some parents share so much of their child that they don't realize that children deserve dignity too. Also, there can be negative impacts of oversharing.  In my opinion it can have some drawbacks. What do I mean by that?? Showing the world your little one is being suctioned while intubated, writing long detailed posts of what's going on or getting a dressing change during wound care, being cathed (urine) or the XRays of broken bones etc. Being a patient in the hospital isn't always fun. You're exhausted, hair is disheveled, physically nauseated all while someone has a phone in your face... When I shared posts of Haley Jean's hospital stays, this practice was one asserted time & time again. I was careful posting such intimate details of her such as  her being suctioned while intubated, or any other minimally invasive procedures. Opens yourself up to scrutiny & criticism. Allows strangers to know more than they probably should about your little one. It gives them a pervasive seat at the table, one in which they truly believe they deserve or are entitled to possess. Speaking from personal experience, oversharing can potentially impact ones emotional state because when you give so much of yourself so often, what do you have left for you? It is so distracting. It is extremely important to retain some of that personal life for yourself.

We live in the era of Social Media, where the internet gets more attention than our loved ones. In fact, eCommerce has cornered the market by creating one social mingling app after another to keep us "connected" with Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat etc. The list goes on. And because of this, we're subconsciously obligated to utilize every app of this kind. It's as if a force field pulls you in, forcing you to join & share.

Simply put, just pay attention to what you post, how often you post & take some time to think about it before you hit "share" There's no condemnation if you choose not to post so often or anything at all for that matter. As I know followers tend to expect you to do so. Don't post out of obligation or to appease onlookers. Post to your liking & personal convenience. Remember, our little ones deserve dignity too..;-