be true

i saw mia michaels interviewed yesterday, and she said something that i can't get out of my mind. they asked her how she felt about her emmy, won for last year's work on sytycd. in response, she got a little emotional and talked about how hard she has had to work in this business because she wasn't a typical dancer. she said, "to be recognized for being exactly me, and nobody but me, was powerful." i wonder if the award would have been quite so powerful had she spent her career copying other styles instead of honing her own? when she was trying to make it, all her critiques at auditions were: "you're an amazing dancer, but you need a better body. sorry." would she be quite as proud of her work if she listened and went the eating disorder route rather than saying, "screw you, i'll just coreograph?" (which is what she did).

you will never be proud of work that is not your own. i struggle with what to do when i'm clicking around etsy and see exact copies of things i've designed that someone else is selling. example: i sell the pattern to my crochet booties, copywrited and for personal use only, and i see them being sold in etsy shops by people who have bought the pattern. one woman is even having them featured in a magazine soon, without any thought of giving me credit. someone is selling the wool quiet books i made. like, NO difference. it wouldn't even bother me if like the tree was a different color or something. but it is exact, mine used as a pattern.

i am totally realistic about how "there's nothing you can do that can't be done" aspect of making things. quilting, bunting, booties, it's all been done every way there is to be done. i'm totally aware that we are all inspired by each other. i have no desire to call these people out, no desire to be mean. it just makes me sad. they just need a healthy dose of mia. i'm sure things i've made have been reminicent of someone else's style. but i never ever ever ever ever seek to do anything but be me. i would never dream of copying exactly someone's work. i can't imagine how that's even fun.

a long time ago i made some rules for myself to be sure i was being real, and not letting the blogging world make me feel inadequate or like i needed to compete or copy. i know so many people who struggle with reading blogs and feeling envious and bad about themselves. quit it! what's the point of that? follow my rules: 1. only read blogs that truly inspire you to be your best self. if you are reading a blog that makes you feel bad, unsubscribe. 2. limit your time on the computer. don't read a million blogs. this is fake life. it will skew your vision of your real life and what's really important. i only read a handful of non friend/ family blogs, and they make me happy and motivated. 3. it's ok to love what someone makes/ does/ creates without feeling like you need to do it too or you're not as good as them. our worth is not defined by our skill at hobbies (that's craziness). hobbies are for relaxation in this life. life is for your family, your friends, and knowing your worth as a child of god. some of us are more interested in making stuff than others. i'm sure there's people out there who get dressed before 3 pm. different strokes for different folks. the world needs us all. 4. if you love to blog, blog. you don't owe anyone anything, nor does how many comments you get on a post have anything to do with how awesome/ not awesome of a person you are. don't participate in or read mean-spirited blogs. don't compare your blogs to other blogs. do what you like and don't worry about what others think. 5. be exactly you, and nobody else.

comparing is a really hard thing about being a woman right now. i do struggle with it too. (hence, the making of the rules). i can feel really bad about myself around skinny chicks wearing the style of clothes i wish i looked good in (read: skinny jeans). or you know those super young couples who have already bought like the nicest house? and then when they decide they're ready to finally have kids they have like as many as they want no problem? that makes me feel really down. in those moments i take a step back and remember that we are all children of god. he wants the best thing for all of us (to return to live with him) and he is not concerned with our fashion or our cool house. he gives us each different experiences that are tailor made for each one of us, for what we need. for our growth. for our good. he gives us each different talents to contribute. some of the most important talents are not tangible ones, like kindess and generosity. and what he is concerned about is what we do with what we've been given. our gratitude. our service. our sharing.

elaine jack said, "sometimes comparisons creep up on us. some of you may say, 'i’m just average. there’s nothing special about me or my life.' and yet what is manifested plainly to me is that you are extraordinary, you whose average day is lived in accordance with our heavenly father’s laws. you show your love for the Lord daily as you support husbands, nurture children, care for parents, benefit neighbors, serve in your schools, sit on community councils, and do much of the work of this world in and out of the home. no one is more impressive than you."

here's to loving ourselves for who we are. here's to finding out what god has designed for our life. here's to developing and sharing the gifts we have been bestowed with and enjoying the gifts others have been given. here's to shunning covetousness. here's to being happy for others' successes, rather than jealous. here's to feeling powerfully true to ourselves as children of god.

***************

ps.- yay for joshua! and i cried like a baby when all our old friends from other seasons performed. neil! benji! ivan! anja! dominic! travis! i love them all. i'm so sad it's over.

Comments

[andi]

Thank you for this Kelly! All things that I need to be reminded of... pretty much daily. The comparison thing is so hard, especially since becoming a mother, and since I started blogging. Thank you for reminding me to be the best person that God has created ME to be, and that who I am in HIS eyes is what is most important! This really was so beautifully written.

P.S. I was so bummed last night b/c FOX wasn't coming in on our tv and I completely missed the finale. I am hoping to catch some of it via YouTube...But Joshua won?

[coco]

you expressed very eloquently and tactfully what i have been wanting to scream at people... bravo.
ps- rule number 6: just be really self absorbed (a la me and kelly) and you won't give a crap what other people are doing.

[Amber]

This is exactly why I love your blog. You are truly an amazing and inspiring person. Thanks for being you no matter what!

[Joanna]

Oh you are so spot on - thank you so much for this timely reminder! I understand every single thing you talked about. We have all been there, and sometimes are still there. The blog envy - the house envy - you know everything is relative, because while you may feel that way about other people, others, myself included feel that way about you!!! But you are so right - Heavenly Father doesn't care about our house or blog - it's the service we do for others etc. Thank you thank you thank you for the reminder!

[Lindsey Z.]

Perfect! You're amazing! Thanks for being so generous with YOUR talents. And I loved coco's comment too!

[vee]

awww. well said!! :) you are the best and that is why i lvoe your blog because it is you :)
xo

[stephanie]

A much needed reminder. Thanks for the reality check!

[laceyJ.]

Amen sister! What a lovely post... thanks for the encouragement! Keep up your good work!

And- isn't that Mia somethin'?

(I also LOVED the finale- such entertainment. My only question was: where's Sabra?!)

[v and co]

i hate you for making me cry before noon. i love you always have and always will.

[Marie]

Thanks for all of your words on this post Kelly.

I have been feeling very down and out, and full of comparisons the past couple of days (BAD NEWS from the doctor yesterday...) and then being in Utah with pregnant women running amuck, and the lovely homes, etc. I cried a lot yesterday.

So your post picked me up...reminded me of good things and offered encouragement and comfort.

You are such a gem. Glad I got to see you for a minute the other night. XO

[nicole miller]

i very much needed those reminders. thank you.

[jourdan]

Yep. And that is exactly why you're one of the few I keep bookmarked.

Women (me included) find too many excuses to hang our heads with guilt. I'm sick of it. Just the mere fact of being a woman makes me swell with pride. We have the ability to connect with each other, as you have, to inspire like no other can. It's time we all got on that band-wagon instead of so many others that can be destructive...

You rock.
As usual.

[Kara Jayne]

I really loved this post Kelly. You are inspirational creatively and with your thoughts.

I love to create and craft and I find a lot of inspiration from other peoples work. I hope I have never made someone feel like I "stole" their idea. I don't sell anything, so I guess it's OK. I usually just make things for myself, and others as gifts. If I am complimented I ALWAYS let them know that it was an idea I saw elsewhere and that I copied.

I've never felt like I could come up with many things on my own. I've often referred to myself as the "fake quilter", or "fake crafter". I tell people that I'm good at re-creating, not creating. I just really like the act of physically creating something with my hands.

I love your tips for blogging. I went through a stage of blog-comparing after blogging for a few months, but happily I'm over it. I blog for me and my kids. I'm glad there are bloggers out there like you that allow us into their lives and uplift. You are on my short list of non-family/friend bloggers that I read.

thank you

Oh, and I can't stop without saying how much I love sytycd. I live vicariously through them. The end dance with the "all-stars" was (as Mia would say) "FABULOSITY at it's finest."

[mandee]

thanks for the good reminder.

[Marilyn]

And this post is exactly why your blog is one of my favorites...one of my daily reads. you motivate, you inspire, you uplift. Thanks for being you.

[Suzie]

funny that the first thing I wanted to do is say, "you've got to protect your work!"
I spent years (15) watching women in the craft business copy shamelessly other's designs and ideas. It nearly drove me crazy.
I finally just let it go. And especially enjoyed those last few years of crafting without worrying about how to protect myself.

As I have watched my children become teenagers & now adults your message here has become more important to me. There is nothing I want more than for my daughters to embrace that which they have individually and see them do good in this world.
And the thing that hurts the most is the times when they have self doubt due to comparison.
That's when I am so thankful for truth to teach: a Heavenly Father who adores His daughters and desires them to be happy
Great post!
and sorry for the long comment
:)

[Mariah]

Amen and amen. So true and so aligned with my own personal mantra. I love ya for it! Amen again.

[rachelle]

you're wonderful. thank you for the uplifting message. thank heavens i found you just a day or two ago in my google reader. that is such a bummer about the copiers. you are naturally creatively gifted- you will come up with the new while they try to keep up with your old ideas! so i say keep sharing anyway. it will push you to keep creating fresh things. this is what i tell myself when i have this problem, with whatever- it might be a home decor idea, cute outfit, recipe, stroller or whatever. may we all support, uplift and inspire each other to new levels of our own version of awesome! (and i love that quote btw, about being important!) you're inspiring. thanks for the fresh perspective. you are a great example to many!

[Mary Beth]

just because you pay for the pattern doesn't mean you're paying for the copyright to reproduce an item beyond personal use (ie- for sale/profit). just sayin'. just being protective of one of my fav bloggers. you have legal rights :)

[Robyn Hutch]

Kelly,

Thank you for this. I couldn't agree more. It's so powerful to sing your own song well. Your talents truly inspire me to understand my own better.

At the risk of making the longest comment ever...

Elder and Sister Holland have two amazing talks about this topic that at different times of my life I have held onto for dear life. You're probably familiar with them both. His is The Other Prodigal and hers is One Thing Needful. Truly so, so powerful.

Jeffrey Holland: "...No one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn't measure our talents or our looks; He doesn't measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."

Patricia Holland: "Obviously the Lord has created us with different personalities, as well as differing degrees of energy, interest, health, talent, and opportunity. So long as we are committed to righteousness and living a life of faithful devotion, we should celebrate these divine differences, knowing they are a gift from God. We must not feel so frightened, so threatened and insecure; we must not need to find exact replicas of ourselves in order to feel validated as women of worth. There are many things over which we can be divided, but one thing is needful for our unity—the empathy and compassion of the living Son of God."

(Please forgive me for the length...I just had to share.)

[Jennie]

really loved that post... you always seem to put things into perspective. thanks for being a blog that inspires me, and makes me feel better about being me.

[Julia]

great post ... I really love Elder Wirthlin's talk on the Abundant Life, and creating our own masterpiece. There is no two paintings alike, even if people try to copy another. And they're never as good as the original.

Oh, and the copyright thing really bothers me. Even though you're not wanting to call out that person, the magazine should be made aware that she doesn't have the copyright on the pattern. Like someone else said, you have rights, and in the publishing world, they are sticklers about that kind thing.

[Betsy]

Your blog inspires. Thanks. I'm not sure how I came across your blog, but I am glad that I did.

[debi]

Your blog is one of the few I read that I can count on being real and inspiring at the same time. Your honesty is refreshing in a world full of pretentious blogs!

[tara pollard pakosta]

this is exactly why i read your blog. you are real and honest and i love your photos/sewing/scrappy goodness! keep being YOU>
tara

[leslie]

very well put. and the nerve of some people, selling your stuff like that. i'm the proud owner of two of your bracelets (from your actual shop) and i love them. :) please keep the talent coming!

[Ashely Schultz]

I love that you incorporate your testimony into your posts. Thank you for this reminder.

[jen]

Great words of truth and wisdom. Just linked over to your blog via marta. I really understand what you mean about letting the Lord develop us by the gifts he's given us. Thank you! I'm just starting in my crafting for others, I'm glad for your rules and incites.

[Tracy]

Thank you soo much for this...i got all teary eyed reading this. I find myself comparing myself to others often. I feel like i am not outgoing enough, or crafty enough, or living good enough for God. You have inspired me! I know i don't know you but your blog is a blog i have enjoyed reading and continue to read because you are real and inspiring! I will be praying for you and your journey in having another child! "May God grant you the desires of your heart as you delight in him" Psalm 37:4
Tracy
http://tracylewis26.blogspot.com/

[april]

it's kind of annoying when you so perfectly say what I wish I could say! ;)

[leah eggers]

i struggle with rule number 3 a lot. i thought it was just me and i'm glad to see it's not. thanks for this post. good stuff.

[dalene]

Hi. I don't know that you would remember me, but I met you at c jane's. Only if I had realized who you were (or attached the blog to the person I met) I would have told you that your blog and the stuff you create makes me happy.

But now since I'm delurking I'll also tell you that I loved this post. I think I'm the only person in America who has only seen one episode of sytycd (did I get that right?), but it was just this week and was one with a number that mia choreographed and it really moved me.

Maybe that's what happens when you are true to yourself. You are or you do or you speak or you make (etc.) in ways that are real and honest and true and it moves people.

Even when you are the only one who witnesses it and is moved by it is worth it to be true.

Anyway, thanks.

[katherine mw]

that was just what i needed to read today, thanks for sharing your thoughts and for being real. hope you have a beautiful friday.

[Holly]

does this mean i shouldn't change my name to kelly mccaleb, my husband's to grant and my daughter's to cate#1 and cate#2?

i also loved seeing all our old friends come back last night. i totally got the chills watching them. by the way, where is sabra? and did lacey actually say "clothing-wear?"

[Emily]

I always had a hard time wrapping my mind around the "Thou shalt not covet" commandment. Murder, lying, false gods...OK I get those. But coveting, why would I ever covet?

Then I started reading blogs. Now I totally get it. I think you hit the nail on the head here. I love your rules and I am going to work on some of my own.

[erica]

Dang thanks for this post. This is why I love the blog world. I frequently compare myself to other blogs/people and feel inadequate. Who knew other people felt that way, especially you with all your talent?!? Thank you for your uplifting words and helping me remember what my purpose on this earth is!

[alysha]

that made my day...thanks Kell!

[melissa w]

love this post! it gives eloquent voice to some of the issues i myself have been struggling with lately. you truly are an inspiration creatively, spiritually, and otherwise: but, for me, i love how you have always (even back in SLO 3rd ward days) encouraged me to discover and embrace my most true, real self and focus on what is most important. so, thank you. love you my lovely, sweet, inspirational friend!

[sarah]

posts like this one are great examples of why this sweet blog is one of the only ones i spend time reading. thank you for writing this, EXACTLY the week i needed this reminder. i struggle so much when i'm confronted with friends who are as young as me, brand new newlyweds, and living in gorgeous homes *without* children, while my husband, my baby and i are in debt and renting a teeny apt and won't be buying anytime soon. God does not measure my worth by that, though...His Son is the only measure of my worth, and He told us all 2,000 years ago that we are worth everything.

thank you kelly for reminding me. :)

p.s. i love mia michaels with all my heart and always will, and i will truly miss such a great season of sytycd.

[Marie]

Love Mia, and your blog too!

[Sheri Weppel]

Totally with you on this. As I get older I find I have no time in my life for people who choose a miserable unhappy life. Life is what you make of it. be honest. be yourself. be happy.

[cat]

Wonderfully said. What a beautiful and refreshing perspective you have on life.

[Jenn]

Thanks for that today. It helps to read it.

[Kristen]

you are so amazing kelly that people are copying you! that must feel great! *wink*

hope your end-of-summer/start-of-school season is great.

[Brook]

Kelly,

Beautiful. Your blog is a beautiful example of a blog that inspires me. A few of your posts in particular have deeply touched me and I re-visit them. . .(ex. your cupcake motherhood post) I know this will be one of those. Thank you. Do you mind if I link it on my blog?

[Bianca]

thank you, kelly. you continue to amaze and inspire me.

[Jaana]

Timely, wise, and thoughtful words. I'm sorry someone is taking advantage - that just out and out stinks. I admire how you're handling it, though.

So is it weird and creepy and stalker-ish if I, a total stranger, tell you that I love you? :) You inspire me and uplift me and make me laugh - even when you're feeling like Chewy...

P.S. I'm glad I'm not the only one who cries at SYTYCD... if Katee couldn't win, then I'm glad it was Josh.

[lisa]

i understand completely. life is hard enough without our comparing ourselves to others. i just had a talk with my daughter about how not to look at couples at church and think they have a perfect life with no problems. we all have talents and we all have trials. it's called life and it's difficult. but it's so wonderful too! i love your blog and your etsy shop. you are truly creative and i wish you the best!

[heathie]

i knew you would be dying when I saw Neil on the show. Oh your dancing ani!

[ashley m]

kelly, your amazing. you really have a way with words. i think i am going to post your blogging rules on a post, but i will give you credit of course! great post!

[Jogirl]

wow, you certainly summed it all up there girl. And so beautifully, you actually have me in tears right now..
Thank you.
Jo

[TJ Hirst]

I think sometimes the seeds of comparison are planted because we want to discover our own work (and worth) but struggle knowing where the source of that comes from. For me, that discovery takes place in an individual place inside me -- not a group place or a community. Even while we are participating in those communities - like at church or the blogging networks, we can receive that inspiration, but it is still individual. When it comes from THE SOURCE then we know it is ours and as you said, we can then be proud of that work and know that who we are becoming is from the divinity within each of us.

[katrikoehle]

Thank you for this post.

1- You are super talented. I know that, you know that. I feel sorry for those people out there that have so little shame as to copy your stuff EXACTLY. Now, we are all inspired by each other... but this doesn't sound like what you are talking about.

2- I absolutely agree with making blogging rules. Your blog was one of the first that I started to read over a year ago. I appreciate your point of view and really enjoy your blog. For me, blogging has had to take a back seat and frankly I haven't missed it much. I'll keep checking in on your blog as long as you post. :)

3- The world is a wonderful place. Sometimes when I talk to my friends and ask, "What have you been up to?" and the answer is, "It's on my blog" ... hello?!?!? What is happening to actual conversation?

Kelly, you are a lovely person. I am glad that you shared these thoughts in your post.

[sherri]

Thanks for putting your heart out there. I totally agree with everything you said. Well said! Also, it's nice to meet another SYTYCD fan! I was ECSTATIC that Josh & Katee won! There were my favorite dance pair!

[Jessica Higbee]

you are amazing ,so insightful and so real!

[Kristin]

Just wanted to say thanks for this post. I am teaching my Young Women tomorrow about loving themselves. How perfect is this example to show them just how amazing they really are. And a good reminder for me as well ;)

[cathleen]

Wow! I am blown away by your words, Kelly. You have such wisdom for one so young. You are an old soul and I mean that in the nicest possible way. You wrote some powerful words here. I've struggled with some of these very things my whole life. Now at my ripe old age...I seek plenty of serenity and contentment. Just wanted you to know I believe this post will help a lot of woman stop and think about embracing themselves with a huge dose of self-love.

[chelle]

so true, so true and so candidly and cleverly yet beautifully written, as are all the rest of your posts...thank you for this and do you mind if I link it from my blog? of course giving YOU the credit. I think it is something my little corner of blogland would find encouraging to read. and thank you Kelly for not being afraid to just be you...we all love you for that.

[Shaquanna]

I am so glad you shared this. Thank you.

[elizabeth]

I am sure that these other comments saymuch the same thing, but here is to being true to ones self. Your blog is onmy daily or so read. you totally inspire my creative juices! I don't think that i have made anything close to the same as yours, but the point is that i am reminded that I too am a creative person and that is just what i need sometimes! nothing like a reminder that you are a child of God! you said it very well kelly mccaleb! i apppreciate you!

[Asha]

That was an awesome post. Let me tell you why. I'm a stay at home mom who could use some extra money and who LOVES to craft. I discovered etsy and have been wracking my brain on what ORIGINAL idea I can come up with because I dont' want to steal anyone's livlyhood. Seriously, I'll get an idea and quickly go type in the 'buy' box and sure enough that idea is taken so I go onto another idea. It's sad really, the guilt that person may (or may not) feel will live with them and I couldn't sleep at night knowing I was stealing someone's idea.

[Anna]

I'm de-lurking. I found your blog linked from someone else. I'm a novice quilter and admired your creativity. I just thought I would let you know that I loved this post. I think you pretty much summed up my blog rules. Anyway - here's another fan saying cheers to you. So sorry to hear about others ripping you off without giving you credit. It's obvious you are a good person with many talents.

[Sarah]

I love this post. Thank you for the reminder. We all need it from time to time. I compair way too often.

Thanks

[Abby]

You are so inspiring to me. You are so yourself, so real and that makes me want to be more myself.

[amy]

Amen and Hallelujah! :)

[marci]

wow. i know the 64 comments before me have all said the same thing but i so needed all that you just said in that post. it's so hard sometimes to not look at other women and think i am lacking in so many areas. i look at you and am just so jealous sometimes of all your talent and your parenting skills and that so many people leave comments on your blog. how silly is that? is that what our self worth has come down to? how many people leave comments on our silly blogs??? seriously. thank you for the advice and for saying the things that need to be said and don't get said. you really are an inspirational person.

[Jen]

Wow, yet again you are able to put into words all the thing's go through my mind. Comparing was something I always struggled with. After I got married I liked to think I had conquered my constant comparing. Rather than actually conquering it I had just disguised it with a new case of the "if only" syndrome. Like "if only" we had this of "if only" we did this. My husband finished his PhD in physics so I had alot of "if only" time. ALOT of time I should have been happy for everything we DID have. Blessing's that were slightly dimmed by thought of the future and "when we have". When he finished school and we were blessed enough to do everything I thought necessary to be "happy" it didn't come with instant 100% happiness (go figure lol). The big house, new cars, and bigger income didn't equate to being happy. Our personal struggles, marriage, children, and just life in general struggles didn't change ONE BIT. I realized we make and allow ourselves our own happiness. My happy times aren't more happy now I have a bigger house or more thing' and my sad times certainly aren't any less sad because of any material posession. My happines comes from (and always has) my faith, family, and all the non-material blessing that come from both of them. I try to remind myself daily that I need to make a priority and work on the thing's that bring me true happiness.

[haley]

thank you!!!! i needed this today. you are an amazing woman! thank you!

[Shannon]

What an awesome post. You've definitely made me reconsider some things and want to focus more on who I am as an artist, not so much on who everyone else wants me to be.

Thank you so much.

[debee]

thank you for sharing this
LOVE the rules you set
i to live by very similar rules and it works out for the best. always focusing on my life purpose as a child of God-truly we are blessed
:)
-debee

[boho girl]

my new friend Em Falconbridge sent me your way.

i truly resonated with so many aspects of this post...thank you. beautifully written.

my sweet husband and i have been trying to conceive our first child for almost four years. so, i so relate to that bit of this post. ; )

xoxo

[marci]

well everyone else has already said what i want to...but i just wanted to thank you. i read what you said to my husband and cried a few tears. i soooo needed to hear it. again you inspire me to be a better person...you are really good at that!!!

[annie]

I have been reading your blog for quite some time. You have a wonderful way of saying all the things I wish I could. I appreciate you for who you are and I appreciate that you are so honest with all of us. We live in different states and have different lives, but I too strive to live as my Heavenly Father would want me to. Thanks Kelly, I really enjoy your blog.

[annie]

I have been reading your blog for quite some time. You have a wonderful way of saying all the things I wish I could. I appreciate you for who you are and I appreciate that you are so honest with all of us. We live in different states and have different lives, but I too strive to live as my Heavenly Father would want me to. Thanks Kelly, I really enjoy your blog.

[Karen]

That was really inspiring and just what I needed to hear. Thank you.

[Megan]

Kelly, Thank you. I've been lurking on this blog for a couple of days and I think you're a genius. Thanks for what you said here. I needed to hear it. Or read it rather.

[Marcella Peach]

Hey Kel. I know you get a ton of comments already, but I just wanted to add to them. I love reading your blog, it truly inspires me and brings me back to reality. I've been writing journals to Madeline about her changes and spiritual things that take place in my day. Sometimes I wait too long to write them because I do not feel inspired. After I read your blog it reminds me how important it is that I am writing her these journals and I feel inspired once more. Thank you for that.

[ashlie]

thank you thank you thank you :) as a young married woman who is fighting CONSTANTLY with adjusting to my "new life" and comparing myself to every person I come across, I have been fighting unhappiness for awhile now. these words have brought me hope for peace. thank you!

[Julia]

wow. i've been very down lately and this is just the word i needed. i think God led me to it. i know this stuff. but, like everyone, still need to be reminded. thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[V]

You don't know me & I'm not sure how it was that your blog or this post but after reading this post I just have to leave a comment and let you know that it really hit me today & it was exactly what I've been needing to hear/read lately. Your thoughts on this issue could not have come to me at a better time and there are so many people in my life that I would like to have read this post because I feel it would help them remember what's really important in life. So, with that - thank you.

[Liz]

Hi. I realize this is an older post, but I couldn't not comment. Thank you so much for this. After reading your post I went through my feed burner & unsubscribe from about 20 blogs that did nothing but make me feel bad about my own life. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Nicola]

Hi Kelly, I just found your blog, and love it. Thank you for just being you, and being it in such a real way. So refreshing AND inspiring to read. This was such a great post, one I needed to read. So thank you.

[Megan]

I've been a fan of your blog for a while and I am de-lurking. This post was spot on. I would love to link to this post on my blog. I hope that is cool with you.

M

[Kathi Johnson]

I needed this blog..... I've been grieving on and off since my 4th child was born. She has special needs, which sometimes I forget about, but then get reminded about in an unguarded moment. I look at the lives of other LDS women, which seem so perfect from the outside view, and then remember that we all have our struggles. I can only be the best me - I can't be an imitation of someone else. Kelly, this blog entry was an answer to a prayer that I hadn't even voiced. Thank you.
Kathi

[Sarie]

Kelly,

I came across your blog linked on a different blog... I've spent some time tonight reading your past posts. You are so talented, so introspective. You really helped me with this post particularly. Thank you. You're an inspiration to me. I have spent the last few weeks reading Nie's blog almost constantly. She is so inspiring as well. Makes me feel inadequate, but when I really try to figure out how it makes me feel, I realize it just makes me want to be a better person. Pass the sunshine!
Lots of love.
Sarah