Not this post. A different post. In fact, several different posts. Because every now and then I write one of those posts. And someone comments or sends me a message or tells me in person that what I've just published on my blog is the best thing I've ever written.
Those are good days, I'm not gonna lie. I enjoy hearing that from people. But how can multiple posts be the best thing I've ever written?
When I first got that comment I tried to analyze my post. What had I done differently? What made this post better than other posts? How could I replicate that?
And I've learned that it's not all about me and what I put out there. That's part of it. But another part, maybe a more important part, is what's going on in the reader's life when they read what I've written.
Sometimes I write funny, although mine is generally a dry wit. Sometimes I write tragedy. Sometimes I write philosophical. Sometimes I write spiritual. I even occasionally write slap stick. And any of these could be the best post I've ever written -- for you, at that time.
My writing is most powerful when it touches something within the reader. Maybe I made you laugh about something you were taking too seriously in your own life. Maybe I answered a question you had. Maybe I helped you find the path you were looking for. Maybe I inspired you to make a change. Maybe I offered you hope or strength when you needed it most. Maybe I pointed out something so obvious that you've always known but have never told yourself. Maybe only one sentence from an entire post pierces your heart but was exactly what you needed that day. Or maybe so many other things.
The more I've blogged, the more I've learned that the best writing is a collaborative effort between the writer and the reader even if we never talk to each other about it. And I am so lucky when I get to know that magic happened because someone who read what I wrote told me it touched their heart.
I hope I have many more best posts in me. I hope you are moved by what I write. I am honored to experience the magic with you.