It was a heady experience finally getting a Popular Blog Award after three years of regular blogging. Thanks At Goal & Maintaining Team for highlighting me! And then a second award a week later without even being highlighted. That blog was selected by SP and e-mailed out to a whole lot of people. (One of my SparkFriends claimed it went to 1.5 million people, but I can't confirm that.)

I took the time to thank many of the 185 people who commented on that blog. Not a bad thing to do.

But you know, I often don't thank you who take the time to comment on my mundane, day-to-day, not so exciting blogs. Well, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I owe you who read my daily musings so much more than those who just stopped in to see what all the fuss was about. If I don't thank you on each comment it is not because I don't appreciate it. I truly do.

It helps me a great deal to write blogs of all types. I write to celebrate small achievements, like swimming a whole lap of American crawl; running farther than I've ever run before; trying a new recipe or food. I write to share disappointments like when the scale is up more than I think it should be; or when I can't sleep and it is triggering hunger; or when I fall off my bike, fall on my treadmill, and fall down on the curb. (Note to self: no more falling.) I write about my wise choices and my not so wise choices, my struggles and my victories. I write to set goals and usually remember to report the outcome. I write to declare how great a healthy lifestyle can be. I write to commiserate on how challenging a healthy lifestyle can be.

And you, my SparkFriends, never, never let me down. When I need to be picked up, you encourage me. When I need someone to say, "good going," I can count on you. When I am facing an issue, you have great suggestions. And in your own blogs you model living as I want to and share solutions I need.

For me SparkPeople, and especially my SparkFriends, are the most consistently positive force in my life. I mean, I adore my grandkids. They make me laugh often. But they will occasionally scream in my ear and/or kick me in the shins. SparkFriends are only kind, caring, supportive, and wise.

So most of the time, almost all the time, I am not writing blogs for a mass group of people or to win an award. I'm writing to express what I need to express especially for those few of you who understand. Thank you for your unwavering support!