Do you know what today is? It’s my bloggerversaryyyy! (*Cue Babyface singing in the background, if we can’t book him cue marching band and confetti….and dancing.)

Today April 13^th 2021 makes it seven whole calendar years since I have been a blogger and since culturally, historically numerically, biblically and psychologically the number 7 signifies completeness, it is clearly something to celebrate.

In 2014 when I decided to take the leap and enter the world of online blogging, I did so with a huge dose of trepidation (ah did frighten bad!). I wanted to write a different kind of ‘mom blog’ than the usual template focused sharing tips, tricks or hacks to becoming a ‘better mom’. I wanted to provide a view that is uniquely Trinidadian and even more uniquely me. Would people ‘get’ my style of writing? Would I write content that people would be willing to engage with? Would I get enough of a following to engage with people in the first place or would I just be writing for writing sake? How much of myself would I be willing to share publicly? All of these questions I grappled with at the start but at the end of the day I just decided to start. MANY times (plentyyyyyy times!) I fell off the wagon simply because I didn’t care much for my voice and it seemed like it didn’t resonate. I didn’t really struggle for content as I had lots to express, just never the time (or the will) to sit and get it out and as such my posting used to be sporadic AF. Covid changed that for me.

Last year during the drollness of virtual teaching, I put a lot of focus on what will bring me joy as I navigated the effects of the pandemic on my sanity.  I decided I needed to get back to one of the things I love with the intention of writing more and writing consistently. I got a logo created, revamped my blog page for this purpose and strengthened my social media connections to share myself with a wider audience. With another dose of trepidation, I created an Instagram profile to help me get my content out there and honestly, to engage with more people to escape the feeling that I was writing into a void. I’m glad I swallowed and took that leap because it really took it up a notch for me in terms of feeling more comfortable and more confident in sharing myself and what I write.

So what have I learnt over these seven years of blogging? A lot, but these four stick out:

1. Write what you want to write and not what you think people would want you to write. Don’t lose your voice because it is what inspired you to write in the first place. It is the thing that sets you apart and makes you unique. I have had many moments of “should I say that?” and “I hope people get that” but no matter how much times I backspace, it always ends up being expressed as I want it.

2. Make blogging part of your routine. I used to think that blogging was something I did on the side like a hobby I got into when I was bored. While it may have started off like that, I now consider it as something that is a part of me, so I am this, that, the third and a blogger. Blogging is something that I do just like educating the nation’s teenaged humans or feeding the gremlinz three times a day (and ensuring that there are multiple snacks because apparently a thrice a day feeding is never enough).

3. Don’t force the inspiration to write. Yes, you will not feel like writing and yes that is ok but there are other ways that you may be inspired to show up. Instagram really helped with that ( and more recently Tik Tok which is another strange beast by itself that is fun to wrangle). Social media does help with consistency though as sometimes inspiration for a post will hit me in the bathroom based on some nugget of discussion had earlier.

4.  Don’t be too obsessed with the numbers. It is perfectly natural to check your stats and insights to see your engagement, as a matter of fact it is very important. The trouble lies when you monitor the bars every day, three times a day and the length of the bars drives your emotional state.  There is a saying that goes “watch food doh cook good” which essentially means to do like that Disney princess who unleashes herself in a frozen tundra…..

I was there in the earlies, thank God I wised up and I have been enjoying blogging for what it is.

So Happy 7-year Anniversary to me! I’m so excited for the plans to make Trini Mom in the Middle into the juggernaut I want it to be so keep dem fingers crossed! I hope today sets off years and years of future blogging from my neck of the woods (and if you’re still not sure, I’m over here). Thanks to all of those who supported me, who advised me and who inspired me.

Thank you for being here, I really appreciate your presence, your shares and your comments when you can. If you haven’t as yet, firstly please feel freeeee to scroll down and click follow below this post and secondly check out my social media handles below, it’s freeeee and you get nothing short of seventy times seven more years of my supreme eloquence, greatness and of course, email notifications when ah post😁

Here I am on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trinimomindmiddle

Instagram: instagram.com/trinimom_indmiddle

Tik Tok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeuJeoeH/

Cheers and Blessings!

TMIDM