69 Posts. That’s 130,088 words. That’s how much I’ve written this year. It’s why I need to slow down and take a breather. One of the best compliments that I’ve received lately was when a supporter and friend of mine on Twitter called me, “prolific.” I don’t take compliments well, but she was right. I have really been churning out the good stuff for months now. But, that comes with a price…

I’m worn out. I feel out of ideas, which is absurd because I have a whole notebook full of great ideas. But I don’t feel up to the challenge of writing them. I currently have 8 drafts sitting out there, just waiting for me to finish. I just can’t do it. I’m tired. As many of you know, I just went back to work after being off for 1/2 a year. The transition has been as smooth as these things can be, but it’s been a lot.

I worked hard during my time off. From learning about how to build a website, to learning about blogging, to how to engage and interact with people on social media. It’s has been a really beautiful experience. This blog has made me feel energized and confident. It has made me feel validated and helped me heal. Meeting new people, some that I call friends, has been an unexpected and delightful consequence of all of this.

That said, running a blog is hard work. I kept working when my grandma died, but that was when I first started to falter. Then I got COVID-19 and worked straight through that as well. I blogged through panic attacks and got up at 5 am only to spend hours, phone in hand, promoting my posts. I have forgotten to eat and to use the bathroom and I have worked so hard to get here. I am so grateful for the opportunity that each one of you has given me.

I’m telling you here first, I’m going to take a break from the blog for an undetermined amount of time. This is certainly not forever. I am so proud of what I’ve accomplished here, I could never give it up completely. I honestly can’t believe I’m making this post. I hadn’t even been thinking about an extended break. I was just sitting here tonight and it hit me, “You need to step away for a while.”

I’m going to go with my intuition on this one.

I may try to post an update post here or there. If I have any really great, groundbreaking ideas, you guys will be the first to read them. I will still be semi-active on social media and you’ll still see old posts being posted daily. I will also check the blog email and Contact Us regularly while I am away. But I need a break from new material. I’m at a crossroads in many ways, and I need to sort my way through it. I need to spend some more time with my kid, do some art, and go on some hikes.

I need to be able to all of those things without the pressure that I’m also putting on myself to run this blog. I need to figure out how to be able to do it all….be superhuman. Rest assured, I will figure it out. I’m just asking for a little time to sort things through. I managed to propel myself forward at a high rate of speed, in a lot of ways, and now it’s time to slow down and see that direction I want to go from here.

So, that’s that. That’s the announcement. I know you’ll all be gracious and compassionate…you always are. Just know that I will be back soon.

In the meantime, keep fighting the good fight. As always, my DMs and email are open, even when I’m on a break. Take care of yourselves. Be kind to yourselves. Forgive yourselves.

Love and light! Keep fighting the good fight! 💜💜