It recently occurred to me that whilst I am now a blogger, it is also true that I am a blogger's child.
You see, whilst my siblings and I grew up, my mother (who was a writer amongst many other things) wrote a weekly post for a parenting website about the funny things that happened in our family life. As you can imagine, a house filled with four children and an eclectic selection of pets was certainly plenty of inspiration for her. It was called 'Nesbit Road'.
At the time, I confess I didn't pay too much attention to what was written - the posts were created over the course of my teenage years and I think I must have been paying more attention to friends, parties and the Backstreet Boys- but Mum did occasionally check in with me to make sure I didn't mind if certain stories were published. This was over ten years ago and the blogosphere didn't have quite the same reach as it does now (and there was no Facebook or Twitter), so I usually said yes.
After the blog ended, Mum spent some time pulling together the posts for us all into a book. She'd written the posts over seven years and created a 166 page memento for us all - a lot of posts(!). And when I received it (I think I was in wedding planning mode at the time) I thanked her and set it aside to be dipped in and out of at a later point. I didn't realise then how cherished this book would become.
Since my mum passed away three years ago, that book has become one of my favourite books on my book shelf. It's something I read when I want to laugh at the silly things that happened when growing up or when I'm feeling teary and just want to hear her voice - it's funny how powerful writing can be. It's something I read when I just want to remember. Remember my mum.... and the quirky things that used to happen on a fairly regular basis back in 'Nesbit Road'.
This all got me thinking about the power of blogging and how positive it can be for us, our children and our families. In writing about parenting, the big issues and the day-to-day, we are autobiographers of our family lives - witnessing, capturing and preserving. I know there are many debates around digital footprint, content copyright and over-sharing but the simple act of writing about your family life (whether to share or not) is a positive one.
In this digital age where children will grow up with thousands of pictures and videos of their childhoods, it's important to make sure that you are present there too. Writing captures our tone of voice, our humour, our observations and moments of family life that your children may not be able to recall.
Whether they log onto your blog in years to come, find a notebook or even pick up your book, I can guarantee they will smile when they read your words. They will hear your voice and recall moments that were long forgotten. They will remember.
So to all you bloggers, keep writing and being inspired by your family and those silly moments. Enjoy that bit of time you spend reflecting and writing about your day and how life really is for you this week.
And to my favourite blogger of them all, my mum, thank you.
