True Thanks Giving

A note of gratitude with a small side of business

I cannot let the holiday for literally giving thanks go by without saying a heartfelt THANK YOU!! to all of you, my subscribers old and new.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

I have been amazed and humbled by the sudden expansion (feels like an explosion) of interest in my blog since I published The Problem of Only A Handful five and a half weeks ago. I surely was not expecting that essay to resonate as it did, to be shared so widely, to bring so many new readers. At this point it has nearly 10,000¹ views(!!!), which makes it viral by my standards—quite a thrill for my amateur blogger heart.

The subsequent essays have also done thrillingly well, thanks to so many of you who have liked, commented on, and shared them. Indeed, it seems your enthusiasm has boosted my blog to the attention of the Substack algorithm, enough that in the last couple days I’ve begun to see new subscribers on-boarding from Your Weekly Stack (which I had to look up using Substack’s handy AI chatbot); it’s the algorithmically determined “suggested reads” for Substack users based on their personal reading history. So the algorithm sees me! It’s sharing me! I think this means I’ve made it. Or maybe I’m giving it too much significance. But it makes me extra happy and thankful for having such an active and interested and generous readership. I’m grateful for every click you’ve made, from opening an essay to leaving a like or a comment, and especially a share. You all rock! And I appreciate you.

As dangerous as it is to single out individuals (for fear one will forget an important mention), there really are two people who deserve recognition for helping me finally get over the exhausting mountain of my . . . fear? ego? insecurity? all of the above? . . . to start saying what I think, to Just do it!—meaning Write, for pete’s sake! They are my fab friend Elise Miller, of the widely read and witty Mrs. Miller stack. Once upon not-that-long-ago she said to me (about writing and sharing) “It’s not precious.” My thought was: Easy for you to say, given your levels of talent and fearlessness. But actually, that little remark was a seed. It took root, because I knew it was true and that I had to water it. Also, Elise’s bold talent and fearlessness were ever there in front of me, daring me, inspiring me. Her never failing confidence in me helped stabilize the floor on which I now stand and speak as a blogger. It means the world to me, so Thank you, Elise!! (So fun to finally use your name in Substack space!)

The second person I must thank is my dear sister who I’ve subjected to my voluminous (and ardent) political opinions that I felt too intimidated to put out into the world. As we sat sipping our morning coffee on a high-rise balcony above a New Jersey beach this last September, she insisted I needed to write my thoughts down and send them out. Because if I was going to spend that much time paying attention to the news and expend that much energy having Opinions, someone other than her should be subjected to them. Okay, that isn’t actually what she said. However, she did very earnestly encourage (edging on implore) me to stop being afraid and just. start. writing. And so, finally, I did. And look what happened!! It worked, Sis! So thank you hugely for your filial boost of rock-solid confidence in me (or was it exasperation with?). It made the difference.

One last but not-at-all least thank you is actually the largest and most important. I am filled with gratitude to the One Who has strengthened me to overcome everything that’s been holding me back. I literally wouldn’t be here without Him. So each time I sit down to write, I pray for the words to say what is true in my heart, for the courage to send them into the world, and for the humility and understanding to not take whatever happens next too personally or seriously—to keep my ego in a posture of quiet appreciation rather than self-congratulation. My prayer for By My Reckoning is to make it—and keep it—about speaking honestly and fearlessly for the sake of whatever good it might, in His Providence, provide.

Finally, one small piece of business: I’ve been trying to publish every Sunday morning but I’ll be taking a break this week, as my fam and I are heading to my above-mentioned sister’s home to celebrate the holiday weekend with her fam, per our 25- year tradition. So you won’t likely hear from me again until the following Sunday, just FYI.

Again, THANK YOU TO ALL, and for those of you also celebrating Thanksgiving (and actually, even for those who aren’t), may your day be blessed with joy and peace, and a heart full of gratitude.

1. In reality, with the way Substack stats work, those near 10,000 views might be only two people viewing it 5000 times, but I’m optimistic enough to imagine it’s 20 people seeing it 500 times. Go me! 🤩