1 year after my blog went viral...

Last year at this time I said a prayer.  I had been having intense feelings that I needed to share my story with people, but I didn't really know how.  I had tried several different things, but nothing much ever materialized.  I prayed about these strong feelings for several years and I was out of ideas so I changed my prayer.  I asked Heavenly Father to show me the next step or to take the intense feelings and desire to share my story away.  I thought: Please let me feel peace that I've done all he wanted me to do.  

Three days later I was talking with a widow on a closed Facebook group.  She had been struggling and so I copied the link to my blog and hoped it would help her see that there is a way to happiness.  The next day I got a sweet email from a widow who had read my blog post.  She was a recently widowed and also pregnant. She expressed how great it was to read my story and realize she wasn't the only pregnant widow.  I felt great that it could help her.  I thought, "hmmm, I guess that is why I had the feeling to share my blog yesterday, so this sweet girl could find some peace."

Later that day Curtis started receiving a couple odd text messages from some out of state friends.  They asked if he knew that my blog was all over the internet.  He called me and told me to check the blogs messages.  I told him that was pointless because it didn't have any messages at all.  After explaining the text he had received  I went home and opened up my blog...it took 15 minutes to even remember how to log in!  When I finally opened it I was shocked and confused to see over 30 messages.  When I opened the stats it said 55,000 views!!! I had maybe 100 views before that and I'm sure they were mostly me;).  When I clicked the refresh button just a few seconds later it jumped over 500 more views and it continued to grow.  In just a couple days the blog was well over 500,000 views. I had thousands of messages come in from all over the world.  Messages of love, sympathy, hope, and thanks.  It was overwhelming and humbling.

This experience has been in many ways life changing. I never set out to be a blogger.  I just knew that I needed to share my story of trials and triumphs and show the world that through the atonement and with the love of our Heavenly Father we can find true happiness.  I have since spoken to numerous groups around the state of Utah and even traveled to Washington.  I have been able to feel like I am doing what the Lord wants me to do.  It has truly been a blessing to my life and also to my family's life.  I am so grateful for the outpouring of love and acceptance I feel through the blog and also through speaking.  It is awesome to see something good come from all the trials I have gone through!

The blog went viral just 10 days before the 10th anniversary of Jake's death.  As I approached that milestone I had thought about how tough the last 10 years had been.  I decided that I was ready for a new decade.  10 years that would bring more peace and joy into my life.  A decade full of service and doing the Lord's will in my life.  This last year has been a great start to that decade!

To read my original story click here.
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