Sharing on social media
Photo on New Year’s Eve morning.
I have joined a group of mums to answer a question each Monday. This week’s question is, “Why do you share on social media?”
I was about to start answering this question and then realised I have a section on this website called “Why I am Writing This Blog”. Here is what I have written in it:
“Why I am writing this blog
To celebrate Coraline
To share our love for Coraline
To learn from each other
To change perspectives
To raise awareness
To create understanding
For the past decade or so I worked in Cultural Relations where the wonderful global programmes I worked on, linking people up across countries, have been all about mutuality, broadening horizons and changing perspectives. This background informed my decision to write as I knew that is is through knowing people that perspectives shift.
I began to write about my experience in my first week in hospital after Coraline's birth, as I had the impulse to share, and the impulse to write. I have always loved writing. I set up my Instagram account and wrote little pieces from the heart on there which I cross posted to my own facebook. This writing was purely for friends and family. I thought my friends would be interested to know what we learned about Down’s Syndrome, and I also knew their wisdom would come back to us in response to what I wrote.
I was overwhelmed by the amount of messages and comments I received in response, which were the catalyst for me deciding to write more widely. I received so many insights, stories, contacts and comments that I felt it was bigger than me.
Some of the beautiful comments I received from friends encouraged me to write more widely. I had written for family and friends for my first eight weeks writing and the first eight weeks of Coraline's life, before I began a public blog and Instagram in October 2017, Down's Syndrome Awareness month.”
The short answer is I trusted my instinct to write. It did feel nerve wracking to write publicly. I am also trusting my instinct that any post I write, Coraline would be happy to read.
#dsawareness #instinct