Often, in my creative life I have said, “If what I write is appreciated by one person, my work and time are not wasted.” One view, just one. Right. When that one view is received and that one person shows up week after week to read my labors, do I really feel like I haven’t wasted my time? If what I write is found worthwhile by that one person is that enough? The truth struck me hard when week after week, a story I post on a site has one, sometimes two views. I find that I am not as generous as I imagined, and I have fallen victim to the numbers game created by social media. This week I had to stop myself and contemplated, the one thing that someone has said to me, the one note or text I received, the time spent one on one that helped me take the next step, learn the next lesson, understand the next truth. What if those people had chosen not to share what was in their heart, if they had chosen not to share what had been given them to share, where would I be? I would not be in this here, in this now, as I am. Those one time occurrences have shaped me, helped me, opened new doors and new avenues of thought and reflection. I wish I could be happy about just one view, but I can’t, not yet at least, maybe not ever. Still, I can be grateful for that one viewer, who ever they are, that shows up for me when no one else does. I know I will continue to delude myself with my own generosity, I am human after all, but I will also finish the story that I started, because of that one viewer. Whoever you are, thank you so much for showing up week after week. I don’t know your name or who you are, but I appreciate you. You are worth my time and my effort. Thank you.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.