Tuesday - Entry 4:
When I began offering a donation button on my blog, I had mixed feelings. I have long resisted the urge to load my blog with ads, yet with work being so spotty this year my blog was the only resource I had that was working for me. With 200-300 unique visitors a day, up to 9000 individuals a month, I figured a buck here and there from donations might help.
Two weekends ago we were struggling with an issue. I had just started a freelance job but the paychecks hadn't started rolling in yet. And when they did start rolling in, it wasn't going to be enough. I had rent coming up, bills due, and my children all needed new school clothes. Especially the Brownie. She was running around with sneakers that had worn through at the ankle, exposing the frame wire. It dug into her foot constantly and hurt. I tried wadded up paper to be a buffer between her foot and the sneaker mouth, but even with me rebending the wire back every day there was only one solution that would be guaranteed to work: new sneakers.
Then a donation came in.
The following day I took the Leprechaun and Brownie with me to Target. It was the Sabbath, but I was so desperate. I truly hoped it was an ox in the mire situation. We found the Brownie a pair of black sneakers with pink trim. They fit perfectly. And best of all they didn't hurt. I also picked up extra pairs of underwear. She was all set for the new school week. Thanks to the donators' generosity, my daughter had a large smile on her face and felt like a million bucks.
The other day somebody posted on my blog that they were sorry they couldn't donate any money. Let me expand here a bit on what I told that reader. If you can afford a buck to help out, I would appreciate it. I write about subjects that some of you find helpful, but I don't expect donations from everyone. I offer my blog for free. It's not your fault I've fallen onto hard times. I would rather be selling ebooks to you, frankly, but I don't have any for sale yet. There are other ways to show your appreciation for what I write. If you share my blog, retweet me, or take a moment to leave a comment, I see that as generosity and appreciate it, too. The time you give me is valuable. Thank you. Thank you.
For those who helped me with my kids' needs since I started taking donations, I want to give them a shout out. Thanks to Brass Hammer Designs and Simon Peacock for donations last May. Click on their links and visit their blogs. And for my two anonymous donators in September? God bless you. I respect your need for privacy, even if one of you has an awesome blog that I wish I could tell everybody to go visit now.
In the meantime, my little girl has enjoyed her new sneakers immensely and I feel truly blessed. I write to connect with others who share similar problems in life. Thank you for connecting back to me.
~Dˢ
