Blogging Awards, Heartache and Forever Remembered

My how my views have changed since I decided to "try" to blog. I am still waiting on my blog book for idiots so I can learn exactly how this business works. In the meantime I have been checking out other blogs. I mainly follow party and entertaining type blogs. Oh yeah, and cupcake blogs too of course. How great is life when there is such a thing as a cupcake blog. Even better than cupcake blogs, cupcake bakeries. I love that. A whole shop devoted only to cupcakes. Greatness! Back to the subject. I was reading one of the blogs I follow and they posted that they were nominated for a blog award. Blog awards? Who knew? Anyway, back to the point. They asked that their followers go to this particular website to vote for their blog. In the process of doing that, I ran across a list of the previous years winners. I was just reading them over and noticed one called The Spohrs Are Multiplying. I am not sure why that one stood out. I clicked on it and read a couple of things on the site. I then discovered that this family had a baby girl that was born prematurely. Her name was Maddie and she ended up passing away a little before she was 18 months old. Her lungs were not fully developed when she was born. Maddie over came a lot of things but in the end her little lungs just gave out. Maddie's mom, Heather, was put on bed rest when she was pregnant with Maddie so she started a blog to keep her family and friends updated on what was going on. After Maddie was born she kept the blog going to keep them updated on her progress. Heather is a great writer. I love her humor. She has gone through some pretty tough times but she always manages to make me smile. She is very witty. After reading a couple of her posts I decided that I would start at the beginning of her blog and read every word of it. It may take me a while but I have decided to do it as a tribute to Maddie. What a little angel she was. I really enjoy reading about Maddie. It just breaks my heart knowing that soon I will get to the part where Maddie passes away. I am not ready for that. It is like when you are watching a movie and you know the hero dies in the end but you still watch and hope that something will change this time and the hero will live. Unfortunately that is not the case. Maddie is no longer here but her memory will live on forever. Heather has shared so many stories, pictures and videos of Maddie on her blog. She shared Maddie's struggle to survive, her triumphs, her smiles, giggles, first tooth, first words, crawling, etc... I know Heather will never forget Maddie and all the joy Maddie brought her but now she also has a record of Maddie's life. Years from now she can go back and see all the little and big things Maddie did, day to day, in her short life. Things she might not have remembered after a few years. Now she will always have these memories. I know Heather would much rather have Maddie and I wished she did too. I just hope one day her blog can bring her some joy when she looks back on Maddie's life. She was a glorious bright eyed little girl. She was loved. She will always be remembered.  I have always been "suspicious" of blogs and why people want to put all their business "out there".  Well, I think I was came across Heather's blog for a reason.  I learned that sometimes blogs can turn into something important.  I think it is wonderful that so many people got to learn about Maddie through Heather's blog.  Heather has been able to raise a lot of money for March of Dimes.  I am glad I have seen the positive side of blogging.  I am not from the computer generation.  It is going to take me a while to figure this business out but I feel better about it now.  Thank you Heather.