My Not-So-Secret Crushes

I, like a lot of people, sometimes get depressed about the state of the world today.  When you're up twenty hours a day and feeding babies at 2 a.m. in a dark, quiet room you can do a lot of thinking.  There are moments when I get scared about the world in which my kids will grow up.  The news talks about global warming, running out of gas, the cost of health insurance skyrocketing, famine, lack of drinking water...wait...I have to stop or I'll get more depressed.  You all can add your own depressing news to this list if you want.  I will focus on a few positive things I have found in this world.

Through my blogging I have developed a few secret crushes which are not-so-secret crushes after I publish this  now.  A lot of blogs have made me laugh.  A lot of blogs have made me cry out of both happiness and sadness.  There are blogs that have inspired me, educated me and guided me.  There are a lot of blogs that I love to read but I felt like I had to single out two of them.  One is a surrogate's blog.  One is a mother's blog.  At the risk of sounding melodramatic I can honestly say that when I see that there are people in the world like these two ladies I have hope that the world will be OK.  When I get sad about how we treat each other in this world I know that there are some selfless, strong, positive people still out there.  I hope my children surround themselves with people like these women.  Better yet, if I do my job right, my children will be selfless, strong and positive people.  I might have to think "WWVD?" (What would Veronika do?) or "WWBD?" (What would Bernadette do?) as I teach these children to find their place in the world.

The first blogger I have a crush on is Veronika who writes Sibling for Sophie Cleo.  It just makes my heart melt.  Veronika doesn't think what she is doing is anything extraordinary which makes her a truly extraordinary human being.  Read her story and click on the link in her blog to see the story of her IPs.
I also have a secret crush on Bernadette at Rasta Less Traveled.  I started reading her story half way through but from what I have picked up she has gone through more than anyone should have to endure to become a mother.  She has adorable twins now, one who left the NICU a while ago and one who has been there for 100 days.  Bernadette is constantly facing obstacles.  She is alone, in a foreign country with newborns, and she manages to keep a smile on her face and a sense of humor in her heart.  On my "bad days" (in my home, with my partner nearby, with healthy children...wait, if those are my bad days I am lucky!)  I think of how Bernadette has coped with such adversity and I gain strength from her and people like her.

So, dear Derek, it's true that I have many lady crushes through the internet such as Jesse, Chelle, Jeni, Tiffany, Andrea, Melissa, Tonya, L&S, and more.  There are even some guys who I love from afar like Michael, Tony, Kevin, Jeff, Doug, Bill, Ryan, Reuben, Jason, Adrian, and the list goes on.  But Bernadette and Veronika have a special place in my heart next to you, Derek.  They help me know that the world may be a rough place, but there are gems to be found.