Twice Around the Blog - Thanks Again!

As Snow Branches celebrates its second blogiversary today, I'm reminded how fast time flies.

Once again, I'm grateful for all the support, expressed in many ways, by you kind readers: Twitter reetweets and mentions, G+ +1's, Facebook likes, shares and comments, and of course, the generous blog comments and follows, and links to Snow Branches in your posts and blogrolls. Thank you.

As I said in one of my earliest posts, The Oak Tree in the Garden,

I started blogging because I wanted to make a difference, and felt sure there was more I could do on the internet than click the Hunger Site every day.

I want to make a dent in all the suffering out there, but my problem is believing the fallacy that I need to make a dent that is significant to me.

But how is it possible to know the effects of even the smallest action? In a very real sense, I have no idea what I'm doing or what the universe is doing.

The first of the Bodhisattva Vows is a daunting proposition:  "All beings without number I vow to liberate". To keep our vow, we can only speak and do the things that seem right at the moment - hopefully things that are kind, helpful and sincere - and leave the consequences to themselves.

That said, It has been a humbling, uplifting and sobering experience to be told by readers that they have changed their lives after reading these posts. It's impossible to ignore such encouragement to keep writing.

Looking back over the year, I can't help noticing that I've been posting less frequently - 21 posts in 2012, down from 40 in 2011 - a trend I hope to turn around next year. Despite fewer posts, traffic is heavier - 17,200 visits this year up from 9,300 last year, now from 115 countries all told.

I'm excited to continue this aimless journey and would be greatly honoured by your company. Thanks again.