It sometimes happens that I get busy and lose track of the days, or I’m traveling, or for some other reason (and yes, there are many) temporarily set aside my blog.

I used to feel guilty when that happened, and come back to it thinking I should post an apology…like I had abandoned my readers, small audience though it is.

I don’t worry about that any more. Not that I want to come across as disrespectful to readers…believe me, I appreciate everyone who reads, who follows the blog, who comments. I appreciate you, regardless of how or where you choose to engage, through Facebook or Twitter or via email.

I’ve realized, six years into this journey (six years!) that this is a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve had the conversation with myself…will I be blogging five years down the road? Or ten? Will there be some new and exciting way to communicate that we haven’t even imagined yet?

Regardless, I hope to be around for a long time. So while I’d like to sign a pledge saying I won’t miss another day, or another week of posting, that’s probably not going to hold up. I go in cycles…very consistent with writing, then not so much. And try as I might, I haven’t found a cure for life happening, getting in the way of all my best intentions of regular posting.

But instead of apologizing for my irregular creative rhythm, now I’m taking the long view.

First, while I’d like to flatter myself that readers are eagerly watching for my next post, I know that most everyone out there is like me: busy, often over-committed, and full of good intentions. I’m not worried that readers will take it personally if I don’t post as faithfully as I would like. Readers have lives too, and while I don’t take for granted that a blog follower will always be there, I hope many will be like me…when I see a blogger I follow has a gap in posting, I don’t take it personally. I’m just glad to see them writing again.

Second, I’m coming around to thinking of what I post as a body of work, one that I hope will become a legacy, of sorts.

Not everything I post is save-worthy, by any means. Some of it is personal musing about family or travel, a recipe or some other tidbit of life I share.

But now and then, I write from a different place…a place of the heart no less sincere than when I write about family. But these posts are the ones that could have a life beyond the day of posting. These are the ones that come from hard-won wisdom, trial and error, personal epiphanies, or one of my designated roles in life, my alter-ego as a cautionary tale of one sort or another.

My writing in this vein is not from “let me enlighten you” it’s out of “let me share what I learned the hard way so you don’t have to go that route.” These posts aren’t about what a wise woman I am, they’re about wisdom that’s fallen on me through mistakes and personal growth.

It’s this work I’d like to think is part of a legacy I’m growing.

I can’t say it clearly enough…this isn’t meant to sound prideful. It’s acknowledging I want to share the things I’ve learned, mostly painfully, with anyone who can hear my voice. That’s all.

So, a body of work is what I’m about here, in between the frivolous and light-hearted moments. Because we all have those too; and anyway, who wants to be serious all the time? Some days I just want to share a birthday wish, or rave over my latest find.

What about you? What body of work are you producing? Are you consciously shaping a legacy? I’m curious…what does legacy mean to you?

~ Sheila