Still Inspired: Five Years Later

This month marks the five year anniversary of the day my sons left the house for the first day of the school year and I sat down and started this blog. I had just left teaching to pursue personal goals and spend more time with my family. The freelance work I performed during that time landed me in the nonprofit world as a grant writer, a position that gave me valuable experience and expanded my skills. However, I was recently given an opportunity to return to the classroom, bringing a new level of meaning to this year's Back to School. 

First Post: The Adventure Begins (August 18, 2014)

Much has changed, both personally and professionally, in five years. My own sons are growing fast, and when I think they were only 10 and 12 when I started this blog, I am reminded of how quickly the years pass. Professionally, I have become a confident negotiator and advocate for myself - skills that have spilled over into my personal life as well as I work on building strong relationships by expressing my needs. While I don't blog as much as I would like, I appreciate the outlet when the mood to write or need for self-expression hits me.

Most Read: Learning to Let Go of Unrealistic and Unnecessary Expectations (June 11, 2015)

I have shared 340 posts on Lavender Inspiration on a variety of topics including parenting moments and trials; experiences and local events; the choice to become vegan; thoughts on  books, movies, and music; and often passionate commentary on topics that are near and dear to my heart. I want to thank all the readers who have stopped by once, and particularly to those that keep coming back. As part of this five year anniversary post, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my most notable posts over the years.

Most Popular Parenting Post: When Raising Your Teen Son Feels More Like an Encounter with Cujo (December 18, 2014)

Most Popular Book Review: Leaving Time (December 6, 2014)

Most Popular Movie Review: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (October 28, 2016)

Social Favorite: For Cecil, For Them All (August 3, 2015)

Parenting Favorite: My Greatest Gift (May 9, 2018)

Local Event Favorite: That's a Wrap! (April 27, 2016)

Personal Favorite: Finding My Trail (December 3, 2018)

Readers' Choice: Out of my Comfort Zone and Into a Swamp (April 23, 2015)

Do you have a favorite post or topic? I would love to hear from you. Thank you all again for reading and being an inspiration.