a spark

New website, who dis?

Okay, my usual tagline is what? “I can’t believe it’s been ____ since I’ve written!” So, there, I said it. Now, I’ll get to some of the good stuff…

For starters – this website.

Beautiful, no? I’m so excited to have a refresh and to get into an actual consistent routine of blogging, photo-ing, reflecting, all the things – like, really, really, it’s happening. I have been working with a wonderful person to help me achieve the look and feel I wanted for this blog refresh. She is simply amazing – Bobbi at readytoblogdesigns.com – check her out. She’s inspiring, motivating, kind, creative, I could go on. She held my hand through the redesign process, answered all my questions, and just made sure I felt good about it all in general.

Sure, it’s a little different than the layout previously, but I love the change. There are couple new pages (see the menu bar up top): a favorites page and a resources page. Both are going to be fluid and changed frequently, but I’m so excited to have a different area to be creative and a different way to connect with my audience.

The blogging world has changed SO much since I started. For a long time, it’s why I stayed away. I wanted to just write, to connect, to process through certain phases of my life with my words and with those that needed to hear them. But the influencer-world we live in now seemed to always be lurking in the shadows and covered me with doubt and insecurities every time I’d sit at my computer. It’s been hard to remember why I started The Gist of Life in the first place.

But recently, a spark was lit.

I had a couple people reach out to me with a GIST diagnosis. They had questions, they felt alone, and they felt scared. I was able to listen, to answer, and to shed light on the avenues of hope that lie in front of them.

It felt great.

And it lit the spark for this refresh and my purpose here.

I’m not an influencer, (I may share some of the items that I love on my favorites page for the simple pleasure of sharing), but I am not here to influence.

As it says on my new home page: I’m here to connect. I’m here to make you feel seen.

Because that’s what I needed at a really scary, dark time of my life.

My goals: to share when I’m feeling all the cancer feelings, because yes, they still happen quite often, (actually having two little babies probably make them happen more), to share when I’m feeling nostalgic, to share when I’m feeling joy, to share when I’m feeling frustrated or stressed, and to share in just about all the in-between.

I hope that’s okay & you’ll continue to stick around. I appreciate you more than you know.

Until next time

xo my darlings.