A Repost.....SORRY!

I don't normally repost guest posts that I have done for other blogs, so if you have already read this previously I do apologize.  However, I sometimes think that I put so much pressure on myself when doing a guest post that occasionally something that I really love ends up somewhere other than my own blog.   I was thrilled to help Nicole out, but I also wanted to have record of this here as well.  So like I said, for those of you that have alread seen it, please come back tomorrow for some fresh content.
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When I first started blogging, I really didn't give much thought to the actual social aspect of the blogging community.  I did give it a lot of consideration as far as whether I really wanted to jump in and commit to a blog, but further than that, I was clueless.  However, the longer that I blogged and the more I put myself out there, I started meeting some truly incredible women.  Warm , kind, compassionate, giving women who truly care.  Some I have been oh so fortunate to meet and others that I have only corresponded with via blog comments and emails.  No matter what avenue, I feel like I have been blessed in ways that never would have happened had it not been for starting my little ole blog.

On the flip side of this butterlies and rainbows commentary there lies the storms and mayhem.  Because let's be honest, there is a flip side to EVERY story.  I truly believe that as bloggers we have a responsibilty to be courteous to one another.  I am not naive enough to believe that just because we all have blogging in common that we will all mesh like two peas in a pod.  Some bloggers we are going to be drawn to for whatever reason and others are not going to be our cup of tea.  That is normal and completely expected.  In the past few weeks three blogs that I read pretty religously have done posts on fellow bloggers lashing out at them for decisions that they have made and posted about on their own blogs.  I don't know about you guys, but my blog is MY place to post what I am feeling  and sometimes where I go to get something off my chest.  As bloggers, we do open ourselves up and put it all out there - some people more than others.  I don't, however feel that gives people the right to make cruel remarks or pass judgement.  If you are truly offended by something that someone has written, walk away.  Choose to no longer follow that particular blog.   If you disagree with a choice that someone has made and you feel that strongly about it, you could privately email them and RESPECTFULLY state your opinion or again, just walk away....after all, there are plenty of blogs in the sea!  There is quite a bit of merit in that old saying "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".  I guess what I am trying to say is let's respect and support each other and not choose to tear each other down.  We as women need to be better than that.....we ARE better than that!

I love the manifestos from The Smile Collective, and I thought that this one couldn't be more fitting: