Trying to Matter

While I was distracted by storm preparation this weekend, a milestone passed and I didn’t even realize it until this morning, now that the fog is clearing.

Our blog has published over 100 posts!

This is something I feel proud of because I have often asked myself over the last few years whether the things I am doing matter. Do you ever ask yourself that question?

As I’ve mentioned before in posts such as “The Working Mother’s Dilemma,” I have struggled (even prior to parenthood) with my identity as a lawyer and with the large quantity of time I necessarily spend devoted to that occupation. I have questioned myself constantly. What am I accomplishing here?  Am I putting in quality time? Am I really helping people?  Does it matter?

All too often, despite my best efforts, I have had to take an honest look at things and regretfully conclude that, no, a lot of the time, what I do doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Of course, I have had success in some cases that has been exhilarating, and I have had a handful of opportunities to really help people, and that has been rewarding. 

However, those experiences have occurred far less often than I’d like.

Which is one of the reasons why, when Anna came along, my whole world changed. I thought even more about what really matters because I knew I had the most important job in the world in taking care of this little person.

Anna & Mommy T at the zoo!

Being her parent has reformed the way I look at everything.  I started this blog mostly because I wanted to share that experience with others, and because I know I’m not alone. It’s nice to know that all of you out there are engaged in this remarkable work with me, and that we can be a support system for each other.  

Connecting with our readers matters to me. We can learn a lot from each other.  We can laugh and vent and share frustrations and joys with each other.  And even when there isn’t an easy answer, sometimes just knowing that someone else out there knows exactly how you feel is more reassuring than anything.

So I guess this is my way of saying that I hope this blog matters, or at least, that it can matter in the future.  It’s worth it to me personally to keep blogging simply because I enjoy the creative outlet, which I’m sure helps to make me a happier, less stressed person, in turn helping my family.  That alone is a reason to keep on keeping on.

But it’s absolutely not just about me.  To be completely honest, my biggest wish is to put out quality material that makes people think, makes them laugh, touches them in some way, and contributes something to somebody else’s day. I hope I am accomplishing that, though I know the blog is still in its infancy. 

I’m certainly trying.  It’s not always easy to know what will affect people, but it’s an effort worth making.

My other main goal is to build up the kind of large readership that contributes great ideas, challenges me, and helps this forum grow beyond this beginning into something that could someday help people. I want My Life With Pie to evolve into something that may not only help me provide financially for Anna down the road, but may also make her proud one day.

August 2011

Thank you for being part of this journey so far, and for helping me on my path to accomplishing these goals. I appreciate your contributing your thoughts and ideas.  Please keep reading, keep commenting, keep recommending that people check us out, and keep letting me know what you would like to see and what we can improve.  Help us matter.  Thanks so much!!