Every now and then, I give my friends a list of 10 things I appreciate about them. It is important to me because I have lost many of the people in my life and I know that you should never let anyone wonder what is going on in your head. If you admire them, appreciate them, respect them, you should let them know.
I thought I'd share this practice with my readers because every day when you chime in on the posts, I think to myself all the things I love about my tribe and it does no good if I keep it to myself. So, here's 10 things I appreciate about my tribe:
1. You have fantastic senses of humor! You get my goofiness, you add your own goofiness, and you make comments sometimes that have me laughing out loud, no matter where I am when I'm reading it. That humor is critical, especially if you read some of my LAUGH series.
2. You are all very intelligent. I am humbled sometimes by the references you make, the books you read, the things you know. You are inquisitive and you are seeking knowledge. That is so sexy!
3. You have huge hearts. Sometimes, you leave comments to encourage me, to commiserate and many of you have become emailing buddies and have been there for me as any good and dear friend would be. You have my back. I have yours.
4. You're individuals and quirky. I don't like the mundane. I don't like the boring. I don't understand people who don't have passions, interests, desires, hobbies, obsessions. I can safely say that there is not a boring person in my tribe. You are all so unique and complex.
5. You are dynamic. None of you sit still and let life just happen. You are curious, seeking knowledge, changing stands and opinions, trying new things, and adapting to new realities. This bodes well for your futures.
6. You are sassy. My readers tend to say it like it is, put it in the most witty and fun ways. You are just as up front as I am and I respect the hell out of people who are what they are and say it like they see it.
7. You question authorities. I respect people who think for themselves and don't just accept things that are said without questioning the source or validity. My readers are asking the questions and seeking the answers.
8. You are horror nerds. I love having a tribe made up of horror lovers. You are all different degrees and different focuses, but my tribe must be made up of those who appreciate good thrills and chills.
9. You put up with my antics. I can be childish and goofy upon occasion, shocking or just plain weird, but you go with it and ride along. I appreciate you letting me be myself. I spent a few decades in a marriage that did not allow for me to be myself and it is liberating to not only be me, but have a tribe that even (shock) encourages it.
10. You are happy for my achievements. So many of you have been supportive while I work towards being a writer full-time and you are proud of me and excited for me and it's very genuine and very kind. I can remember back when my readers gave me the first courage to submit a short story to a contest and I won. It started me thinking that maybe my readers were correct and I might be able to be a writer.
Thanks for being all these things and more. Don't ever wonder where you are in my heart--my tribe has a huge place in my happiness and my inspiration to keep plugging away at blogging and writing, ghost hunting and adventuring.