Open arms

I don't really have much to say today, but I want to say thanks for your comments on yesterday's post. I think it isn't until you need to hear them that you remember how valuable a few reassuring words can be. Virtual hugs may not replace the real thing, but they're certainly better than none at all.

Blogging about yourself can feel like a big risk. Writing about your experiences and feelings and making those thoughts available for anyone to read takes courage. I'm not patting myself on the back and saying, "Hey, look how brave I am." I don't consider myself brave. Not in the least. I'm just pointing out that exposing yourself in strength and weakness takes some daring.

If you want to let someone in, you have to be open. Being open makes you potentially vulnerable. More often than not, I believe the payoff is worth the risk, not that it makes it easy when you get burned.

This is going to sound like a dumb example--and I feel silly for bringing it up--but the primary thing that moves me about the reality show Kid Nation is how openly the kids express their fondness toward and concern for the well-being of each other, especially when some are having a hard time. I'll be among the first in line to gag at idealized media representations of childhood, but the unguarded sincerity and affection in the kids' actions and reactions touch me.

I feel incredibly lucky to have made friends and deepened friendships through this blog. I don't know that I can fully express what that means to me. Some of you I've met; many of you I haven't. I'm grateful for the kindness you've shown me, and I hope I've been able to return the favor in one form or another.

Mini-knitting content: the blanket has been increased to 143 stitches. 25 to go. I'm beginning to wonder if I might be a skein short. If so, I may have to raid the yarn shops of Columbus to ensure that I find the right dye lot.

And in blog news, Friday's entry will likely be backdated. I'm heading across the Ohio River to The Southgate House to see Kelly Willis in concert. (It's in Newport, KY, but for all intents and purposes I'm going to Cincinnati.) I don't expect I'll be getting home until at least midnight, so some fudging of the time will be in order.

Hmm, I guess I had more to say than I thought when I started.