These are a few of my favorite . . . blogs

Probably half of my online time is spent blogging, whether that means writing for my own blogs, answering comments on them, or visiting other people’s blogs. Because I’m part of the writing and editing world, a good number of those blogs feature those topics. But I consider myself fortunate to have a wonderful variety of blog friends—people I know in everyday life, people I’m online friends with but have never met in person, and people I’ve never interacted with outside of blog comments.

I thought maybe it would be nice to feature a few of them here today, so you can see why I like them. And maybe you’ll like them, too! The three I’ve chosen have a common theme, even while being vastly different: women who have overcome personal tragedy and who share their stories to help others become strong as well.

Don’t just read my description; give their blogs a visit, browse around, and see if you connect.

Barren to Beautiful: Rebekah created her blog to share her story of infertility with others who may have gone through—or are currently going through—the same. Over the years, her blog has evolved to include a lot of life, like marriage and motherhood, and all the humor and struggles that go along with it all. Rebekah is one of the bloggers I know in real life, in person, and I can assure you her heart for others and genuineness is as beautiful as her smile. She welcomes others to share their stories on her blog, knowing that each time we tell our own, we heal a little more and we probably help someone else. One of these days, she may figure out how to put her journey into book form, and I’ll happily be one of the first in line to have her sign a copy.

Laughing at the Sky: Heidi’s life changed at the age of eleven, when she was brutally raped by her best friend’s father. The trauma changed the course of her life, the way she saw herself, and the way she coped with her fears. She determined to escape from the world by planning to sail to French Polynesia. More than forty years later, she and her husband sailed 12,000 nautical miles from Maine to Fatu Hiva, French Polynesia, and she fulfilled her lifelong dream. Heidi’s journey, both literal and emotional, allowed her to befriend many courageous women across the globe, to appreciate what is celebrated in remote cultures, and to overcome her biggest fears. Her blog features what she calls “Gutsy Goddesses”—women who have shared their stories of overcoming a number of tragedies and prejudices to embrace victory. Heidi has written her memoir and it’s currently in the agent-review stage with a hope to be published soon. It’s powerful, heartwrenching, and absolutely victorious. Heidi is one of my online-only friends, but she’s a great encourager and I hope to meet her in person someday and become part of her “sister tribe.”

Beauty Beyond Bones: Caralyn suffered from severe anorexia for years, and her blog chronicles her path from the lowest moments of her eating disorder to her recovery. The blog is raw, vulnerable, and uplifting in a way you might not expect. She’s fun, quirky, confident, sometimes unsure, and everything else rolled up into one lovely person. Her blog gets an amazing amount of traffic, with comments that number in the hundreds each time she posts, and yet she takes the time to answer each comment individually with thoughtfulness and care. Caralyn has written a book, Bloom, that you can find on her site, and she now also shares healthy recipes each Wednesday as well. I have no relationship with Caralyn outside the blog comment arena, but I’m always moved by her posts and so impressed that she treats each visitor to her blog as if they’re precious and important. I know people who have suffered from anorexia and I understand what a devastating impact it has not only on the person with the eating disorder, but for those who love them. Caralyn touches on all these things within her own life and in the way she sees the world.

There you go! I hope you’ve actually clicked on these links and read the stories of these three incredible women. Please share the sites with others you know who may need to hear these stories of victory and encouragement.