Love is Blissdom

Moments, meetings, relationships forged, mis-steps forgiven, growth, and community.

And in this year I’ve named “connection” because I followed the lead of an amazing woman, my heart has been opening wide. And Blissdom?

It was all courage.

It was all smarts.

It was all heart.

Blissdom was love with 1300 feet.

Blissdom was patient

I was a purple pebble in a sea of pink gems. I was constantly asking, “Have we met?”. Because I couldn’t remember. I kept waiting for someone to judge, to be impatient with my lack of brain. But it never happened.

Nobody was impatient.

Everyone waited for those behind.

Everyone pulled others across the finish line.

Blissdom was kind

Everyone had questions. Not everyone had answers. But in community answers surfaced.

“Have you seen?” was answered with “yes” – or – “I’ll help you find”.

“Where is?” was met with “over there”, or a tweet, and an answer.

“What’s next?” meant someone who knew, would share.

“How do I?” was surrounded by – “here, let me help.”

Blissdom was not self serving:

You learn in life that giving away information can empower those competing against you. But Blissdom was about the collective rising of  the tide – and every boat along with it.

Everybody learned.

Everybody shared.

Everyone looked out for others.

Everyone there, at one time or another, sacrificed themselves.

Blissdom was not jealous:

We’re all human. We want what we want. We want what others want. It starts as a baby grabbing a mom’s hair, or nose, or earrings and never stops. The human condition. If others have success, it’s so easy to be jealous.

But here, the blogger with two readers was the same as the one with 10, and 100, and 1000, and more. The smaller ones wanted to be like the bigger ones, but I saw not one bit of envy for someone else’s successes.

In a place where competition could have been fierce, fangs exposed, and jealousy rampant – there was simply none.

Blissdom was not proud

There was pride of course. Pride in a job well done. Pride in community. But there was no “better than” kind of pride. I saw no sneering.

I saw the confidence of those who lacked it

built up by those who had it.

And nothing was lost by the one having,

as they build up the one needing.

Blissdom was not rude

Everyone stepped aside. Everyone said, “no, you go first”. In many cases it was a race to be last. There was understanding for the one’s needing it – and without the rolling of the eyes.

There was order amid chaos because nobody reached for more than their share – and then shared what they grasped without complaint.

Blissdom was not quick to anger.

Have we all been at a church where a baby crying brought grumbling. Where a mom with too much to do still rocks the baby and tries so hard to not disturb others – and heads turn and grimace anyway.

Not here.

Everyone knew the struggle and often offered help instead of sneers. A baby crying meant love – and I saw the smiles. I smiled myself. I admired. Notes were continued, attention divided but on target.

Where was an angry word?

I looked.

I saw not a one.

Blissdom forgave

I understand that as a man, a man who is neither father nor husband, I really have no place in this community. It is an enchanted tapestry of female hearts stronger than steel, and as delicate as a snowflake.

I get that it’s a priviledge to be part of this community and also that I may never be fully part.

I have barged in with my big male feet, stumbled, knocked over the fine crystal goblets, trampled on the daisies. Not with everyone, but some, and you know you are – and you have forgiven – and is there there any better example of love than forgiveness?

Blissdom did what is right

Two words: Love Bomb.

Blissdom bore burdens and lightened loads

There were lines, long lines, forever lines and not a single complaint.

There were tech issues met with absolute grace and helping hands, hearts, and brains.

There were too many in some places and not enough in others yet nothing ever got crowded out, and empty simply meant cozy and close.

And there’s this…

On the way home, on the highway, there was the right lane for slower movers, and the left lane for passing.

Those on the left lane of the interwebs,

the left lane of the business world,

the left lane of social media,

need to yield right of way to this speedy, powerful, unstoppable, unmovable force.

Moms rule.

The tide is rising, and because of Blissdom I feel I might be allowed to rise with you.

I feel connected.

I

was

blissed.

This is Blissdom-  not what I learned. I haven’t even had time to process all of that. It was and is the irresistibly powerful, collective wisdom, passion, strength, ability, intillect, and heart unmatched by any other community on the internets.

To be allowed in to this community, knowing I’m not a sister – but to now to have hundreds of sisters – to be let inside the circle, not to all parts – because there are parts that should be for women only.

In my own “man” way I’m learning to know where these parts are.

And finally, this…

Blissdom believes and hopes.

If there is one thing that rang out. It was this. It has always been inside of you.

Just ignite the light. Let it shine.

Have courage to build, choose, trust, fail, succeed, pioneer.

LOVE: your ideas, community, focus, and then spread it out like a picnic blanket on the green grass.

Be courageous.

Dream big.

You can do it.

You are strong. and you have a line of brilliant sisters behind you,

you are surrounded by a cloud of sisters cheering you on.

You are not alone.

Hope chimed like a church bell.

It’s your time

Be BOLD

Ignite the light, let it shine.

Thank you Blissdom.