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Life’s challenges leave Miryam with heart for helping others
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“I decided I wanted more for my children. I did not want to bring my children up in an unhappy home,” says Miryam. “I knew I could be a good single mom. I saw how want my to mom start dida it. She blog?taught me. I knew I would not be in the street. I knew I would be okay.”
to one self-described proud aunt, docrafter and povertyFaced activist, logs, two very demanding children on her own, Miryam, once again, with web parenting known as blogs, allow communities listened to that wee,ofsmall voice. With the courage of a fiercely loyal mother, she found share ideas on topics of sharedhousing interest.in Peterborough. Not knowing how she would ever be able to appropriate
move on her own, she relied on her mother’s wise advice, and reached out and relied
“Blogs provide a wonderful opportunity to upon the kindness of strangers. discuss what you are working on and thinking about,” says Laura Vanderherberg, whose own blog focuses on family, crafting and social justice issues.
“My friend, Andrea, suggested that I ask the Mom’s Group for help, and my mom encouraged me to follow her suggesStill says fairlyMiryam. new to“I have blogging, Laura grateful tion,” a lot of prideisand I don’ttolike people having to do things for me, but I had to ask for help.” have been introduced to the pastime by a friend. Miryam was astounded when people whom she had never even met before came out to help her move all of her belongings to her new home. Miryam and the children, not yet aged two, were ready to start their new lives, once again thanks “She helped me a lot when I got started,” says Laura. to“She the compassion of strangers. taught me it was okay to ask a friend for help, and, once I got started, that I should give my blog a focus.”
“Two days before my move, we had a big snow storm,” Miryam remembers. “I was frozen from shovelling for three hours, would be able move our things. My mom, who was visiting from Mexico, cried, ‘I don’t like to see you Just so asweimportant, as to your focus, is disciplinhurt. strong.’ toldtopic, her, ‘Iaccording get it from Mama.’” ing You’re yourselfso to stay Ion to you, Laura. “Find up to three Miryam topic areas by that making longexperience, list of Ten people helped move day.aThe which could have left her beaten down, instead left her with things you know about, and that you might want a heart for helping others. to write about, then choose your top three,” says Laura. “Write only on those topics.”
Since that day, Miryam has continued to provide admirably for her children, and, while building her business she has maintained those friendships, and has made many new ones. I’m sure each of those friends would have something to Once you have decided what you will write about, it’s say about who is and what account she means the Peterborough community—I wasn’t surprised that so many people just a matter Miryam of opening a blog andtogetting stepped started.forward to share a few words. “I’ve observed that there are very few barriers to getting started,” says Laura. “Blogs are accessible to virtually anyone because of such low- or no-cost resources as BloggerTM and WordPressTM. And, if you can type, you can blog.” Laura Vanderherberg lives in Peterborough. She invites the readers of Discovering Women to visit her blog at www.lauraannv.blogspot.ca, and to contact her by email (laura.vanderherberg@gmail.com), if they would like to discuss how to get their own blog started.
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Issue #9 | www.Discovering-Women.com | 2015