Blog-o-versary!

In 2006, I first started this blog in January. Then I started blogging properly from September onwards which is after completing my degree.

So I just realised that I completed 5 yrs of blogging... damn, that feels long!

This blog is a part of me. The one place where I'm freely allowed to just be me, let my thoughts flow be it happy, sad, angry, boring thoughts, stories etc..

I've also made some good friends through this... Some who remain to be good friends and some who have moved on and away for various reasons...

There are people who have left countless nice comments asking me not to publish them. They wanted to tell me what they feel and how much they actually love the person behind the screen who writes these posts. That person and the one online are the same. There's absolutely no difference and that is something they all love.

I was honoured to once win the 'Blog of the year' award'.:)

I've received gifts from bloggers who didn't know me in real life and yet found a way to send me things through mutually known bloggers. The extent to which people have gone amazes me..

I get countless invitations to meet bloggers & readers as they feel honoured to meet me and that makes me feel like a celebrity, for what? For just living my life and sharing it online. I'm sorry for the invitations I've declined.... and I'm glad about a few that I actually took up.. and well.... that's how it goes...

There are bloggers who have been following me for years.... and there are people who are not into blogging but follow me day in and day out. I was touched when one person left a comment saying that one of the poems I had written long ago touched him and that he printed it, laminated it and kept it under the glass on his table and that he reads it every single day...

There are people I've met who read me and then made me take a step back and breathe coz they already knew me and I kept forgetting that I don't need to say anything much about me.... Like I still remember when I first met Gutterflower and went out for lunch, she saw my car and said "Oh so that's Mandy..".  I had a moment where I froze coz GF knew me by reading ze blog..:)

Then we also had the famous 'Nibras Bawa' issue. The one guy or rather jerk who wanted some of us to shut our blogs down coz we were known and liked in the blogger world/Lankan community. I never gave into any of his threats and it feels good when I look back. I used to be a stronger person!

This blog is like the twin I never had... the twin I share my life with.... The one place I can truly be me... let my thoughts out... my outlet for my frustrations, sadness, happiness and more.... Its brought me peace, happiness, sadness and pain too sadly, a sense of belonging and much more....

It's becomes such a big part of me that I've gone through a few instances where I really wanted to shut this down... but something in me just wouldn't allow it... coz it'll be like shutting down the expressive part of me, permanently.

A Big heartfelt Thank You goes out, for those who have been following me, for the kindness some of you've bestowed upon LD, for the stalkers who I know love me and want to watch every step I take and every move I make...:),  for the lovely people who truly care, for those of you who have made a difference in some way... and so much more...

LD is grateful, thankful and lucky to have you all in her life, virtually atleast. :-)

I'm going to stop now coz otherwise I'll just go on and on..

Thanks a heap! a million times over and over... the little things matter to me... :-)