I recently received an email requesting that I renew my domain title “Each Beautiful Moment” for my blog. The email stated that if I didn’t respond within a certain amount of time, I could face the loss of my blog domain. And I panicked a little. I must admit that there have been times that I’ve thought of abandoning the blog, as it’s been a busy year for me and it hasn’t always been a priority to write. Yet the thought of losing it struck a chord within my heart. It has been almost a year since I took the plunge and decided to set up this blog…since I moved out of my comfort zone and set up this little spot in cyberspace as a place to put some of my writing. It was a huge move for me.. to put myself and my thoughts out there, inviting the scrutiny of others. But I did it! It took lots of courage.. and it took a great deal of determination because I really didn’t know exactly what I was doing. But I pressed forward, following the instructions from a “blog starter”, without totally understanding most of the steps. And it certainly was a lot harder than the ad for the “blog starter” made it sound.. especially for a person with little knowledge of the internet and its workings! Yet I remember the excitement that I felt when I was actually able to put up my first post! It felt like magic to actually see my words and photographs in print, and to have the website reflect my taste and vision in its presentation. Nothing flashy… nothing loud and distracting.. just the words and the photos. I must say that it was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done! The hard work and diligence was well worth the effort and I still feel a sense of pride for my accomplishment in putting this little creation up and out there. I do, however, still feel a little nervous every time I write a new post and put it out there for people to read. Although I don’t believe most posts are read by very many people, each new piece of writing comes from a place deep inside me… a personal place… and although I have chosen to put this writing out there, I often feel vulnerable to what others might think. Yet, despite the nervousness and the feelings of vulnerability, I felt a panic when I received the email notice with its warning to renew my domain. I knew I didn’t want to lose what I had created! I knew that, although I hadn’t written much on this blog in recent months, there were still things I wanted to say.. there was still the excitement of feeling words come into my head and having a place to put them.. a place that was special, that was mine…
It’s interesting how things work sometimes.. we don’t know how much we value something until we have reason to fear that it might be taken from us! And such was the case here… I knew I could not lose this special place, but even more than that, I couldn’t lose the joy and the pride that I felt for having created this special place where I can write and feel free to express myself. I couldn’t lose that part of myself that somehow built up enough determination to overcome the fear of expressing myself. We only go around once in life, and no matter how old we are, no matter how much we might fear rejection or scrutiny, no matter how much time or energy or courage it takes to accomplish a task that we feel we are called to accomplish, we must carry on with our mission. The name, although extremely simple, “Each Beautiful Moment”, still symbolizes what I wanted my writings to embody. There is so much negativity in this world of ours – we can see it and feel it every day.. there is no shortage of it. I try to take some of the simple joys of life, some of the simple beauty and positive thoughts.. and highlight them. Perhaps this simplistic mode of thought is boring to some.. and so be it.
But it is in noticing and appreciating, writing and expressing the beauty of the positive in the world around us that I find strength and inspiration. I feel strengthened and blessed when I am able to express, when I am able to relate to others through my words… And so my domain name “Each Beautiful Moment” has been renewed and claimed. This site is mine. And I begin my second year of its existence with renewed excitement and determination. I have gained strength and have found great joy in expressing feelings that are true to my heart. And I shall remain true to myself and carry on…

~ Carole Carter – words and photograph