And, just like that, without my realising, my blog quietly turned 3 yesterday! When I saw the notification from WordPress, I admit I was a bit surprised but thank God for that. I couldn’t have let the day go by, without acknowledging what Soul Talk and its’ readers have meant to me all this time.
Since the day I registered on WordPress and came up with my very first blogpost, which was a travel story on Chittorgarh, a lot has happened in life, and the first thoughts that come to mind are those of gratitude – to my family, my blogger friends, my readers and everyone else who has been around to cheer me on to keep writing and generously showering me with so much love and appreciation.
To each of you, my heartfelt thanks and gratitude! I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you all, fighting my inner demons at every step of the way through the trying times I’ve been through, over these three years, nearly giving up on writing and blogging. It is a marvel how much a kind word or an appreciation from a reader has gone in helping me pick myself up from the slump every time I’ve been knocked out, (which I admit, has been far too many for my liking)and yet, I’ve survived and come back to opening my heart out before you all through my posts, all over again.
Over the last three years, my blog, Soul Talk has become an inseparable part of my being, a creative outlet to my inner world of thoughts, dreams, memories and rants. But, even more than, it has become like a dear friend to me whose company I cherish, whose presence fills me up with joy and something I dearly look forward to spending my time with, over a hot cup of tea every day!
Writing for Soul Talk has helped me heal and get past many a hurt. It has also helped me survive hospital stays and bitter arguments and get over depressive thoughts. It has helped me connect with the poet and the philosopher in me who were both about to die a silent death. It has been nothing short of therapeutic to have poured myself, sometimes all of it into the paper or the screen and let it bleed!
To the veterans of blogging it might seem like baby steps, but, three years back, I was led by the belief that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
And, so, in all humility, let me admit, I owe it to you all, my dear readers, my coming this far, and continuing to write, with you by my side, a bond which I hope we’ll continue to share in the years to come. I leave you with a few favourite lines from a poet that I admire very dearly.
“Had I the heaven’s embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light;
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
–W. B. Yeats in ‘The Cloths Of Heaven’.
(Linking this with #MondayMusings hosted by Corinne.)
Congratulations on three lovely years of blogging! That’s such a lovely poem. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Aditi. Glad you say so!! 🙂
How could I have missed this post! Congratulations Esha. I’m so glad for you….. keep blogging and sharing your wonderful photocaptures and thoughts with us…..
Thank you so much for your kind words, Sunita! Your presence has always meant a lot to me and continues to do so…always inspiring and encouraging in more ways than one! I’m so glad I met you through our blogging journeys. Thanks again. Best xx
First of all, congrats, once again, dear Esha, for your blog’s 3rd blogversary! Wish you many more years of blogging and creating!
Now, that poem you shared…it is one of the most beautiful poems I have read in recent times. I, not being much of a poetry-person, fell in love with these words and now want to read more such gems. And, I want you to suggest works a newbie poetry-lover could soak in!
Waiting to hear from you!
Or, maybe you could do a post on your favourite poems and poets with a list of suggestions for mere mortals like yours truly! 🙂
Lots of love!
Thank you so much, Shilpa. So glad you loved those lines from Yeats. He was Irish and he is one of the best poets of English from the 20th century. He incidentally is also Tagore’s first champion in the west — the person most responsible for his initial success outside of India. After reading some of Tagore’s self-translated poems, Yeats was instrumental in getting the collection published, in spreading the word about Tagore in the literary circles in London. Perhaps most importantly, Yeats wrote the introduction to Tagore’s Gitanjali, which first appeared in 1913. The rest, leading up to Tagore winning the Nobel Prize in literature for Gitanjali, is now history. I will do a post for you, Shilpa with all my favourite poets – these are the people who have left such a strong impact on my mind and sensibilities. I do hope you like them too. But, give me some time. Might be in the coming year. But, let me have your mail id. I have mail you some poets who you can read in the meantime. Thanks for being around, Shilpa. Your presence means a lot. Love n hugs <3
Our blogs do end up become an extension of ourselves, don’t they? And yet, it can sometimes feel like a slow, lonely journey too. I’m glad you persevered! Wishing you many more years of joyful expression! xx
Thank you so much, Shinjini! You are spot on…our blogs are an extension of us and no matter what the pace, the journey does lead us somewhere peaceful and happy. It does, for me, that is! So glad to have met you on this journey, Shinjini. Look forward to more interactions in the future. Best xx
Congratulations on 3 years… Your writing is so beautiful and your posts are always so well written and edited, I thought you have been doing this for years. You are one of the bloggers that I absolutely love to read because there’s always a take away… Be it pictures or your experiences. Keep writing 😀
Thanks a lot, Rajlakshmi for those wonderful words of appreciation. Thanks to WT, I’ve never felt I was alone when I set off on this blogging journey and I’m so glad to have met you on this journey and getting inspired by your amazing posts and pictures. I think you have an awesome blogger presence and I continue to dip into your experiences and learn so much from them everyday. Thanks for being around always. 🙂
When looking back over your blog for the past three years you can’t help but notice how much you have grown and changed. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Thank you so much, Carol. Yes, we grow in all sorts of ways and continuously transform through our experiences. I’m grateful for having met some amazing people on my blogging journey and today, I cannot thank them enough for being around to constantly be there as a friend and a comrade to help, support and grow together. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Carol. 🙂
Congratulations, Esha. It sure is a long journey…even by the standards of long timers. Only those who write can imagine how difficult it is to put up something worthwhile every few days.
Thank you so much, Alok. Glad to have met you on this journey. 🙂
Same here 🙂
Congratulations! It has been wonderful to have you around and Soul Talk is a pleasure to read. I am glad that through this blog, I got to know you. Your words, pictures and stories always inspire and touch. Keep writing and shining. Hugs!
Thank you so much, Parul. I can only be grateful for the amazing people I’ve met on this blogging journey and you happen to be one of them. I’ve been learning so much from you over these three years and continue to do so. Thanks for being around, Parul. Hugs right back. <3
Congratulations Esha. Your blog has continued to inspire many of us. The interactions that we have had on our blogs definitely makes it exciting. The blogosphere is full of lovely people and that’s the beauty of blogging.
Thank you so much, Arvind. Glad to have met your virtually and thanks to some amazing interactions through our blogs! I agree about what you say about the blogosphere.
👍😊
Happy Blog Anniversary, Esha. So happy for you. Glad that you decided to blog or else I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to know you. Here’s to many more years of blogging and writing. 🙂
Thanks so much, Nabanita. Thanks for being around, to read, share and comment regularly. Means a lot to me. 🙂
A beautiful three years of blogging, wow! You have touched so many lives through your soulful writing Esha. For a blogger/writer nothing is more encouraging than the comnents of the readers. While your beautifully poignant words resonated with many, your thoughtful comments on other blogs, mine included, kept them motivated as well. Thanks for being the wonderful person and brilliant blogger that you are! Fortunate to have you as my blogger friend. Here’s to many more milestones to you and your lovely blog!
Thank you so very much for the lovely appreciation, Kala. The feelings are entirely mutual. I’ve been inspired and charmed by so many wonderful blogs and yours has been one of the most creative and truly inspiring ones that i’ve come across in the blogosphere. Thanks for being around, Kala, to support and cheer. I’m so fortunate that I can count you as one of the few good friends I’ve made within this community. Thanks again. Hugs <3
Congratulations Di…keep blogging..
Thanks dear. 🙂
Congratulations Esha for staying put with blogging for 3 long years. 3 might appear like a small number but these have been the rich 3 years for you. I can vouch on your behalf 🙂 Our blogs, the extension of ours that they are, have brought us cherishable friends and connections which would not have been otherwise possible. At least I would have never known you. I would have never known how deep can be the connection between 2 spirits. I wish you many more years of blogging and success in all your endeavours.
Thank you so much, Anamika for being around, for your constant help, support and encouragement and for being such a good friend always. My blogging journey has brought me here today because of the love and support of the WT blogging group and you will always be special because of the interactions we’ve shared, our deep emotional connect across time and me discovering another kindred spirit with whom I have so much in common. So grateful that we met through our blogs! Thanks always for being there, Anamika. Hugs <3
Tread softly indeed for these are my dreams under your feet; It takes a lot to open your soul and bare your thoughts for the world to judge and comment on. I have thoroughly enjoyed being your reader for the past one year or so and hope to continue on as your words reasonate with me and I find a lot of calm and peace in them. Congrats on the milestone Esha; may yourwings be never clipped!! Much love
Thanks for being around, Shalz. I am so grateful that I met you on this journey and we connected through our blogs! It has been a pleasure knowing you and your amazing blog. Its fantastic knowing that we are going to be sharing in this journey together, and enriching ourselves through these interactions that keep us inspired and creatively motivated at all times. Love n hugs <3