another commemoration

So this must be the week for commemorations. After observing the third anniversary of our move to Amsterdam on Sunday, and then reflecting upon the conclusion of my year with the Cover-to-Cover project on Tuesday, today serves as occasion for another commemoration.

It's been exactly one year since my first "real" post on this blog.

I set the Blogger account up in December of 2004, but I don't think that really counted as an official post. But ever since the 3rd of February last year, I've been regularly sending my "casual and critical observations on life, love, and faith" out into cyberspce in the form of short prose and photography on AmsterdamAsp. I've been surprised by how much I've come to enjoy blogging. As it turns out, I've become extremely grateful to have this outlet for creativity, self-expression, and emotional processing.

I thought it might be interesting to try and identify my "top three" (personal favorite) blog posts from the last year. If anyone who happens to come across this space has further thoughts or comments, I would be extremely interested to hear what others think (just post a comment below). But for myself, I think I was surprised by how quickly and easily I was able to zero in on my favorite posts to this blog. In no particular order, here are my picks for the top three posts from the last year:

Perceptions: The process of pursuing medical treatment for Olivia's hemangioma was a significant theme throughout my first year of blogging, but it proved to be a very refining experience. I found this post from the beginning of August to be an especially meaningful introspective on my feelings toward my daughter Olivia... And apparently, so did others. I never got more hits on the site or more comments -- from both friends and perfect strangers -- than I did for this story.

Tram lijn 7 - Richting Flevopark - 22:49: I'm not 100 percent sure why this post sticks out in my mind so much. It certainly didn't catch the attention of others (like the aforementioned post), and it's not really that personal. But something about this story just seemed to capture the essence of Amsterdam in my mind. I hope to one day be able to re-write the piece more effectively for use in something else.

Traffic Love: This story was my Mother's Day present (for my mother) in 2005. I like the old photograph at the top of the post, and writing the story seemed to tap into a wave of nostalgia and reminiscence for me. Truthfully, the other two of the "top three" posts were much more easily and more immediately identifiable, and there were a couple of other possibilities that could have also made it into the top three, but I think this is a good choice to round the list out.

So perhaps it may seem a bit egotistical to analyze and announce my own "top three" list for my own blog. But the Dutch are outspoken and unashamed when it comes to their birthday celebrations, and this blog is a Dutch blog -- or at least an Amsterdamse blog. And today is her birthday. Lang zal ze leven...