So… this is not exactly good-bye.

This is not exactly good-bye, but it’s also not quite hello. And it’s not business as usual.

I last posted on here in November of 2023. It’s been nearly 10 months. That’s a long break. I’ve needed space and time to reflect on whether or not I wanted to continue with this blog adventure. I’ve thought about shutting it down. I know there’s something different I want to do but can’t quite see the edges yet. More time. More space. Change can be slow.

I decided to take a look back and see where I’ve come from. To dig down in the dirt a bit and find the roots. Where did this start and how has it changed? Does it have room to change a bit more?

This blog started over 13 years ago. 338 posts. 435 pictures. Countless comments. Many subscribers. Lots of love.

It started as a vague idea that came out of a conversation. I realized the advice I was giving, and the things I was saying, to my friends, were much kinder, gentler, sweeter, than the things I was saying to myself (in my head).

So, what if I treated myself as my own best friend? And here we are, 13+ years later. Seeing what happens if you really think about treating yourself, as you would a close friend.

This blog has gone through very productive times (daily posts!) and unproductive times (a couple years of one or two posts at the most). If I average it all out over the 13 years, I posted once every 2 weeks. Not bad.

I started out with a notebook and some pens, drawing everything on paper by hand, then scanning it and posting. More picture, less words.

I tried out gratitude a couple times a week. I liked it. Yet it wasn’t exactly what I envisioned for this space. I continued with a gratitude practice offline.

There were images built out of paper and collage that had to do with things like the circulatory system. I’ve always loved a good science/life lesson-mash-up. Yet that wasn’t exactly what I wanted in this space either.

Eventually I started drawing on the computer (which I don’t love as much) and the drawings became a bit more simple (and I think, bit less colorful). For what it’s worth, every post and every picture on this blog have been human-written and human-drawn. At a minimum that is how it will continue to be.

There have been posts about nursing, which has been my career for many years. If you want to read more of those stories, I published a book, check it out here.

Mostly, though, there have been posts about being kind to yourself and learning from your life. Being reflective. Being open. Being adventurous. Being brave. Being gentle.

And while I know I’m not supposed to pick favorites, this has always been one of my favorite images.

But I also really love this one too. Pick yourself.

Thank you for the years of following along with me. The comments. The connection. The community. You are always welcome to unsubscribe if you find this is not the content you want in your inbox.

If you want to stay in touch, while I figure out what comes next, you can find me on Instagram at @ifIweremyownbestfriend (sorry, no link, I can’t figure out how to do it). I post sporadically at best.

Fair warning: A few years ago I tried really hard to draw rocks. I was bad at it. But I kept posting my attempts. They did not get better (in my opinion). Eventually I stopped. That’s about the most active I’ve been. But, if I start something new it will probably show up in some way on Instagram and possibly here. I promise it will not be drawing rocks again.

So, one more hello (because it’s been a while). A good-bye (because this blog will not be exactly the same when I come back to it). And a we’ll-meet-again-I-hope (after I give this a bit more time and space to become what it is becoming).

In the meantime, be well. Be kind. Treat yourself as you would your own best friend.