A Thank You to My Facebook Friends

If you read my last blog post then you know that last month I did the 21 Day Oola Challenge. (It's 3 weeks of daily reminders to help you live more Oola. If you want to know what that means, read about it here: my-2018-oola-goals-wait-whats-oola-goal)

So, one of those daily challenges was this:

Think of a friend who's positive change has inspired you to positively change your life, and thank them.

I am inspired in one way or another by all of my friends and family. And I'm inspired by lots of people I know from the various groups I'm a member of. And I'm inspired by lots of people that I don't know at all, but read about.

(Here's a good example that's also a children's book recommendation: Malala's Magic Pencil. I just read this book with my daughter and thought it was so well done-- with beautiful illustrations-- and felt inspired once again by Malala's story.)

As I thought more about this idea of being inspired by others, I thought of Facebook and Instagram and other social media. When I think about social media, I often think of the negative impact that it's had. I think of the disconnection it can encourage, when we replace live interaction with others with the online variety. I think about the way we often compare our worst selves to others' best selves shared on social media. But that's not what I thought about this time.

This time I thought of all the ways that people I interact with on social media have positively impacted my life-- especially people I wouldn't otherwise interact with. And so I thought I'd take a minute to say thank you to my Facebook (and Instagram) friends.

Thank you to all of you who have spread positivity and laughter and joy on social media. Thank you to all of you who have shared pieces of you that make others feel less alone in their journey through life. Thank you to all of you who are being activists to inspire positive change in our world. Thank you to all of you who have recommended great products and services and programs that have made my life better. Thank you to all of you who have shared kind words when I share things online. And thank you to all of you who are getting out there and doing things that I want to do, too-- for inspiring me to go after what I want and build the life I want to live.

Though there are too many to cover them all in this blog post, here are a few specific thank yous...

Thank you to the people in Juliette Crane's art classes who share their work on Facebook and remind me daily that I really want to get back into art class.

Thank you Becky VanDyken for your never-ending humorous take on daily life and over-arching positivity.

Thank you Joy Coleman for reminding me of all the movies I really need to watch.

Thank you Becky Bates Ballard and Stacy Tholking and Jessica Fette for showing me that you can have kids and travel all over the place...and for just making me want to travel more.

Thank you Confident Oilers Facebook group for all the great information and recommendations.

Thank you Beth Bates Chen for reminding me that my 2 kids actually don't have that many activities and I should stop complaining about carting them around (#supermom).

Thank you the Hershey Area Moms Facebook group for all of the recommendations for, like, everything.

Thank you Karen Papa for always liking everything in a way that oozes love just like your infectious grin.

Thank you Brooke Barnette Moore for once last year "liking" a Danette May page, causing it to appear on my feed, which resulted in my joining the 30 Day Challenge last year and getting healthy again.

Thank you Molly's Place Rescue and Lisa Binns for all of the cute puppy pictures that brighten my day and make me say, "Aaaawwwww."

Thank you Linda Scherzinger for sharing photos that make me want to live on the beach and travel.

Thank you Glennon Doyle Melton for sharing inspiring words on Instagram that make me feel good and want to do more and better.

Thank you Karen Corrigan and Lexi Scherzinger for showing me activists that actually take action and Michele Lee Bordelon for always showing that love is the only way.

Thank you Ashley Hackshaw for sharing pictures of your inspiring art work and projects and words on life on Instagram that make me want to be more like you when I grow up.

Thank you Caryn Cole Gargalino for sharing openly your struggles and triumphs and showing that when the going gets tough, the tough really do get going.

Thank you Fit Rise Tribe for sharing encouragement and recipes and love that inspire healthful living.

Thank you Lexi and Katie Scherzinger for sharing cute selfies that make me giggle at how totally incapable I am at taking cute selfies...or doing eye makeup.

There are so many more of you I could thank for inspiring me in some positive way, but then this blog post would never end. So, to all of you, a sincere thank you. Thank you for sharing your real selves-- your wins, your losses, your hurts and struggles, and your joys and triumphs. Thank you for sharing cute photos of your kids and pets. Thank you for keeping me up-to-date on your lives. Thank you for sharing funny memes and yummy recipes. Thank you for sharing thought-provoking articles and great book recommendations. Thank you for connecting in this unique and new way, across the miles and, sometimes, the loneliness.

Just. Thank you.

Until next time, share your story...share the love; share the inspiration; and share the gratitude.