58. Tomorrow, we celebrate a year of DearMamaSal

As I sit here today I am listening to the newscaster tell me that it is 50 years since the Dr. Martin Luther King II’s, “I have a dream” speech. 50 years? Really?! I remember watching it.

I shake my head as I realize that sometimes we forget the magnitude of small steps. Each day I add yet one more day to my non-smoking total. 225 to date. One day doesn’t seem like much but, when added to the previous total, it is remarkable. A total I certainly would not have dreamed of a year ago.

As I cast my mind back over the past year I ask myself what do I remember most about the DearMamaSal’s first year?

  1. Day 1 – Judy’s call to Benji, asking if I would join her live broadcast. Benji’s action following that broadcast (the name, the YouTube site, etc.). I loved the way he said “..there you go, Mum… have fun” as he left to go home. His undeniable confidence that I would work it all out and be able to cope!
  2. The first night – feeling like Mark Zuckerberg with facebook! Listening to the “hits” during the night and being so excited
  3. The frustration of the first week – I got angry and frustrated. It was not as easy as I had hoped. Vlogging was terrifying to me, editing a nightmare and uploading took forever. It challenged me at so many levels and there were times when I didn’t think I would be able to learn it all. I am a fighter. I kept telling myself that a year from now I wouldn’t think about it too much.
  4. The BlogTV initiation! The terrifying feeling of opening up a broadcast site and your only viewer being someone who refuses to speak to you. I spent 20 minutes talking to myself and very nearly did not try it again.
  5. The friends from the broadcasts – One of the greatest gifts has to be the incredible friendship and kindness of the incredible group of people who are now loyal visitors to the DearMamaSal broadcasts – Downstairs Ang (my first subscriber!!), Aussie Becca,  the Ohio group: Em, Becca, Adam, the Aussies: Matt and Christine, the Danes (loving called the Denarkians): Anne-Mette and Jesper; our lovable Jen and Jess; the BC group JustNana and Glen; Louisiana Lori, The Ontarians including Ryan who has quietly been around for so much of our journey; Jamie and Roseanne from California and Katie and JC from Texas. Who did I forget from the BlogTV days?Since then we have added wonderful people, laughed, cried and supported strangers who have either stayed to help others or who moved on with their lives. I am truly honoured to know so many caring people.
  6. Going up in smoke! The incredible support I was given to keep to my choice to not smoke any more. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this year.

It’s been a year of laughs, tears and achievement. A year of support, challenge and truths. None of it would have been possible without Benji’s loving statement, “Sal, I want to share you with the world”. He didn’t just think it… he and Judy made it a reality. I didn’t understand any of it a year ago. I will continue to be grateful for the rest of my life.

So what is my dream? To make more friends, help more people, laugh and learn even more in the coming year.

YouTube Update – Week 52

Subscribers             3,759
Views                    106,840 from 166 countries
Blog views                5175
Non-Smoking Days    225 – saving of $2,407.68 



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