Seven years' bad luck. That's what happened to TopShelf ;-) It's been seven years tomorrow morning since I made that first blog post, rambling about crap that I honestly can barely even remember now.

I had absolutely no earthly idea how much that first blog post was going to completely turn my life upside down, and if I could go back and change anything at all... I'd tell myself to get my lazy butt signed up for an account a lot sooner! ♥

In seven years I've met so many wonderful people through this site, and I've been given the amazing opportunity to entertain, to make people laugh and cry, to brighten others' days when they're feeling blue, and all it cost me was a little time.

My best friend Edeyn, may she rest in peace, once told me that if you can make someone else's life better, and all it costs you is a little bit of time, then what have you really lost for your effort? Compared to the joy it can bring, even if it's just one comment or one PM, that's worth a few hours hunched over a keyboard staring at Google Docs in my book :-)

I wasn't going to even post a blog, but then the title idea hit me and I was like "Okay, gotta write something now" :-P It's a tradition!

I have another blog I want to write that's actually semi-instructional/advisory, about writing, but I don't want it to sound preachy or pretentious, so it's brewing on the back burner for now.

I've always said, I am not a great writer, and that's technically true. I'm not selling out warehouses full of books, nor is my name at the top of any list, let alone a bestsellers' list. What I do have is passion. I've always said I write for myself, and that's true, but so is this: I enjoy making others happy. I like to give back, especially to a community that's given me so much love, support, and inner strength.

And many dear friends have waited patiently to find out just what the Hell is happening with my real life, to which all I can say is things are moving according to plan, and every day brings me closer to my goals, but I would still be in the same depressive, dark cave I was in seven years ago if not for the friends I've made and the bonds I forged that started with just a simple blog post.

I wasn't going to make this very long, and it's getting long-winded already so I'll wrap it up with this: I love you all. Some of us might have our differences at times, I might fall off the face of the earth to deal with personal baggage, but coming to TopShelf will ALWAYS be the second most important event in my life.

The first is when Piper introduced me to my soulmate, Ashly :-) But that's kind of a given. *giggles*

Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Soulful Kwanzaa, Blessed Hanukkah, whatever you celebrate and however you say it, happy holidays!

Love,
~Zoe

PS: Please excuse any typos. I'm too tired to proof read right now, and I've been crying because I watched Trans Siberian Orchestra's "Ghosts of Christmas Eve" again. I watch it every year, and it gets me every single time. :-P