I received a gift from one of my readers this Christmas: the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award.  The kid in me who loved earning ‘A’s and other awards is absolutely beaming.  A gold star to show my Mom and Dad!  Pat myself on the head, spin around and pose with a smile!  Okay, now that I’ve gotten that ego bit out of the way…

I owe this honor to lisalday111711 who writes not one, not two, but THREE blogs featuring her photography, her stalwart Weimaraner, and her spiritual journey.  The award encourages recipients to do the following: 

• Display the logo on his/her post/page and/or sidebar

• The Nominee must finish this sentence and post: ”A Great reader is…”

• Nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days (1 week) – this can be done at any rate during the week. It can be ALL on one day or a few on one day and a few on another day, etc., naming his or her nominees on a post or on posts during the 1 week period.

• The Nominee shall make these rules, or amended rules, keeping to the spirit of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award, known to each reader s/he nominates.

So here I go with item #2…

 A great reader is not a stereotype.  A great reader is anyone who begins a relationship with a writer.   To be honest, when I first learned that I had been nominated for this award, I thought “I am so NOT a great blog reader, and I haven’t even read this person’s blog!  Why on earth did she nominate me?!”  A while ago, I decided to purge my “follows” because I found myself getting way too many e-mails in my inbox.  I didn’t want to spend so many minutes every day feeling obligated to open and like and respond to every one of those posts.   I am one of those introverts who have traded a massive list of acquaintances for a few close, deep relationships.  I do not have a Facebook account, and I do not receive phone calls on a daily basis.  I am not a great reader of blogs for quantity, but I may be a great blog reader for quality.  I am looking for a relationship, for kindred spirits and non-kindred spirits who are honest, vulnerable, interesting, interested and willing to engage.  The fact that they post anything at all shows some inclination to self-revelation in all bloggers, so I don’t have to look very far.  And like picking out a Christmas tree, I don’t keep on looking after I’ve found a suitable match; after all, it’s cold out here and I’d rather settle down with some hot chocolate under the twinkly lights!  So, I don’t claim to have sorted through a million blogs to follow the very best of anything.  Maybe I simply develop loyalty quickly.  But that’s just me.  I like to discover a blog,  follow, go deeper and learn more about the person over time.  I am not the standard of The Great Reader; I am perhaps just A Great Reader to one person.  And that’s fine, I think. 

My Great Readers are very personal.  Some of them may not even be known to me, as the one who nominated me wasn’t.  How do I nominate 14?  I suppose I can only mention the known ones, the ones who identify themselves with ‘likes’ or comments or direct e-mails.  I am absolutely thrilled when my family members and friends far away read my blog.   My mother reads my blog faithfully.  It is how we keep in touch week by week, and she sends me her periodic responses by e-mail.  My late husband’s cousin in France is one of my readers.  My 2 sisters, my brother, my four children.  I have developed a daily comment exchange with a blogger who lives in the U.K.  We have grown quite close over the space of a little over a year.  She doesn’t accept blog awards, but I have her link in my sidebar.  I am hoping to meet her in person one day.  That’s 10 great readers right there.  Here are 4 more whom I follow, who also follow me, with links to their blogs:

R. from Wood Rabbit Journey

Doree from conquistadoree

Stephen G. Hipperson

Naomi Baltuck

These readers will visit eventually and can do as they please with this information as they accept my sincere gratitude and recognition for their readership!  I thank ALL of my readers for beginning some kind of relationship with me.  I am honored by your visits and hope that we can edify one another, be open to one another and “inter-be” (as Thich Nhat Hahn would say) with joy. Huzzah!