At First

There’s a saying that the only way to start is to start, but when it comes to writing, the beginning can be tricky. Especially when it comes to a blog.

When writing fiction, I have found the beginning to be the easiest. I can grasp a catchy opening line or a great idea for a character or a compelling first chapter. But then what?

It helps to have purpose. It helps to have a theme. It helps to have some sort of guiding force to thread through the various entries of a blog. I myself read a lot of blogs specifically geared toward topics like travel, film, and poetry.

This blog isn’t as finely tuned. It isn’t yet so sharply pinpointed. How could it be? Nothing begins without edges of roughness. Writing is, by its very nature, an art that get refined through process and revision.

But I will lead with this: I think I have something to say, in the sense that I think I have something to give. I believe I have stories to tell and experiences to share that may offer solace to someone in need of freedom from suffering. I may have something to express that offers inspiration. Perhaps I can offer the smallest dose of laughter or tenderness or create a crack in a heart, our hearts that get so hardened. That is good enough for me.

I titled this blog Sweet Baby Girl, because those are the words I say to myself today as an act of love and an offering of compassion. I say them to myself with patience. Calm. Kindness. Acceptance. They are the words I wish had been said to me when I was a child and very afraid. They are the words that replace how I used to speak to myself when I didn’t know better; when the way I spoke to myself was harsh and and severe and poisoned with hatred and shame. No longer.

If you are someone who is suffering from any form of addiction, be it drugs, alcohol, food, body, sex, money, shopping, smoking, relationships, work, your own destructive thoughts…there might be something here for you. If you are looking to feel not so alone in the midst of a life that is often so challenging, there might be something here for you. If you are looking to connect to stories or searching for tools that might help you move through recovery, whatever recovery means for you, there might be something here for you. I encourage you to look around. Take what you like, leave the rest.