It is not a new story.  For years I have been writing off and on for myself and the few friends and family who enjoyed reading silly stories about our kids and our family.  It was a way to find joy in the chaos and to make sense of the insanity of the everyday.   The more I wrote the more passionate I became.  I enjoyed the process and the stories came easily. It was a perfect little hobby for my life.  Soon the hobby became a passion, and so I started seeking ways to write more and to grow our little wings.  I was graciously offered a spot as a blog contributor for an amazing small business collective called AlmaDiem.

Each Monday (starting this week)  I post on a little column I cleverly call “Making it to Monday” see the inaugural post here AlmaBlog.

Yesterday and today I watched stats like a fiend.  How many people saw my post? How many people interacted with it? Does anyone really even know what it means to interact with a post?  At the 24 hour mark I was at about 250 views.  For a brand new blog, that’s pretty decent.  I was preparing a party for 300.  I knew it would be a stretch.  I had 12 more hours but I couldn’t hit the pavement anymore.  I did not wish to wear down my amazing friends and family, so I just waited.  I told everyone I saw on Tuesday (that cared) that 300 was my goal.  My husband knew and asked how it was coming every few hours. My kids wanted to stay up until the numbers came in.  It was a big deal (to me).

Then, about 10:30 CST, the stats came in. 299.  Not kidding.  299. The message looks like this.

Isn’t it funny how that last one seems so important.  But without all the other ones before it that one would have just been number 49 or 137 or 268.  That last one is no more valuable that any other one.  But tonight that last one mattered.  It was the one.

As it so often does, situations like this make me pause to think of how this story is bigger than just this one story.   How often do I let that one slip away.  That one person I should have said hello to, or smiled at, or helped with a heavy burden, but didn’t.  That one person could have changed it all, for them, for me.

There is tremendous value in one.  One more pageview is quite miniscule in the big picture.  In fact it doesn’t even register on the big picture, but it mattered to me.  How many times do I minimize the goals or dreams or hurts or fears of others because they (the person or their desires) don’t really register on my big picture.  But to some one they matter.

I suppose the message I should take from my 299 is that I haven’t really reached my goal at all. My goal should be to make sure that every one I come into contact each day matters.  My goal should be to ensure that I teach my children that every one has value.  No more value and no less value that the ones that came before or after. Each one carries his or her own value, as one.  My goal, to treat everyone as if they were that last one, is truly the takeaway of tonight.  Every one deserves to know that they are the most valuable in that place, in that moment.

Tonight I will remember and pray for all the ones who don’t think they matter to anyone.  You do matter, you matter to someone and please, whatever you do, keep looking for that someone as long as you live.  To someone you are the one. 

*To everyone who supported my AlmaBlog post on Monday – THANK YOU!  You are each my #1*