Happy Anniversary to Us!

 

It's our Blogiversary.  One year ago today, after looking at and critiquing one too many mediocre blogs, I decided to put up or shut up. It was very easy to sit on the couch and think I could do better. A year ago I decided to see if that was actually true, and I sat down with Wiley to get to work. 

 

 If you've read Wiley's Rescue Story, you know I was and am suffering from clinical depression.  Creativity can be an important part of treating the depressed mind, and so I knew I needed to write again. I had been avoiding writing for some time because I knew at that point in time the only topics I could write about would be sad and awful.  After all, the famous axiom for writers is "write what you know."  And not to be melodramatic, but everything I knew for a period of time was sad and awful.  However, after I took a step back from my own pity I realized there was one thing in my life I had nothing but positive feelings about, and that was my cozy little family. 

 Hubs and Wiley were and are blessings beyond what I deserve.  

I figured if I enjoy looking at countless adorable animal pictures online and I prefer to read about rescue success stories I couldn't be the only one. So one year ago I released Wiley into the internet ether with no idea what direction the blog would take.  I knew if I waited until I had a solid plan I would never get started. Eventually the blog settled into what it is now, and I can't believe I've stuck with it this entire year. 

 Some of my friends, co-workers, and my husband and sister-in-law have been a constant source of support. 

 I am humbled by how many people have been a part of our first year.  There have been well over 50,000 visits to the blog in the past year.   Our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts all continue to increase in traffic. And our family has even grown by one foster failure of a cat, Jennyanydots.  

Since so many more people have come to know the blog since we began, I'm including links to five of my favorite Wiley posts since our inception.

CRIME REPORT:  I'm including this one because it was the first time I decided to try something a little silly for a post.  Plus it showcases Wiley's naughtiness.

SHERLOCK WILEY:  This post was from a "Literary Week" on the blog; I was staying true to my English teacher roots. I couldn't believe how cooperative Wiley was for these pictures, and that's when I knew that carrots were going to be the magical currency.

 SPOILED SILLY: This is the way all dogs should live.

 PLAY BALL: Wiley was a pretty good sport when I put him in Kutztown Baseball gear so he could support his daddy's baseball team.

TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED: This story is only related to Wiley in a loose sense, but it is the most miraculous thing I've ever been a part of, and I urge you to read it because it has more than one lesson for all of us.

  

The past few years every time a major landmark would pass, like from one birthday to the next or each new year, I would look back at the previous year and think about how much I had hoped things would change for the better in a year,  and how little they actually did. I would look back on the previous year and lament over how little I had to show for it. That's a terribly ungrateful way to look at a year of life, I know, but sometimes the depression has a louder voice than the gratitude. Now when I look over this past year I have 320 posts on a site I'm proud of. 

I have 320 examples of outreach and a connection to something bigger than me, my life, and my problems. I have tens of thousands of blessings and I look forward to what the future holds for the Rescue Dog Blog. Of course the very premise of our site is to encourage user-engagement to share real-life stories. So without you, it's nothing.  Thank you for your continued support, your messages of encouragement, and your stories!  It's a privilege to tell them. 

Email your rescue stories to me at pabibliophile@gmail.com, and don't forget to follow the Rescue Dog Blog on social media.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rescuedogblog
Twitter: @RescueDogBlog
Instagram: @rescuedogblog