"Most Posts" of 2013 Link Up

So sweet Sarah at Amongst Lovely Things is hosting a Most Posts of 2013 link-up and I have decided to play.

Sarah chose some categories and bloggers are sharing the posts that fit them. And I love this idea and want to go click around a bit as life allows. Although I admit I have cuteness envy after seeing how all of Sarah have their own pretty picture attached. But I'll never be done with this post if I let that stop me, so here goes:

Most clicked on : This one about Pope Francis clearly struck a bit of a cord across the web. It was my most clicked on post by a mile.

Most comments: Everyone assuring me they would want to be my friend on this post about how not to make new friends. Although I am not really sure this is accurate because a lot of the commenting happens on Facebook and there is no measure for that. But still, I'm glad so many people wanted to be friends.

Post with the best picture: I love these photos from January of our time with the youth from Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Franciscan Brothers Minor. Something about beards, bare feet, brown robes, big smiles and good memories that just makes my heart happy.

Post that was the hardest to write: Hands down, this one. I process the hard stuff in life through writing. It is as exhausting not to write as it is to write sometimes. This was one of the posts that had to come out. My heart could not keep these words, these thoughts, these experiences shut up inside any more. But gosh was it hard to see them there on the screen, pushing home the reality that my beautiful brother indeed had left us. Beautiful. But oh so hard.

Post that was your personal favorite: I really loved writing my two letters to Emma. I need to make that a priority next year. A lot of people have asked me who Emma is. She is a real girl. A beautiful young soul who I am blessed to know. But she is also so many young ladies I know and love. My own nieces. Daughters of dear friends. And she is me. Much of what is in those letters is a message to my own soul. A moment of self-teaching to bring clarity and focus to a life that can often be overwhelming to process. I am going to try to make Letters to Emma a more regular writing exercise for me next year. It is good for my soul.

So there it is. I enjoyed this little review of the year and thank Sarah for coming up with the idea. Although, I will say, I still have absolutely NO IDEA how we got to the end of 2013 and find it all very confusing. But I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for 2014. I hope you'll be here to follow along.