The Curse is the Blessing (in Life and in Social Media)

Posted on August 1, 2010 by amberlcleveland

My first blog post for my blog (opposed to my company’s blog)…you’d think I’d want to tell you a little about me…keep you coming back for more (laughs nervously).  I guess my plan is to tell you something about me, by telling you something about my Grandma Hubbard.

My Grandma Hubbard was born to an American mother and a Macedonian father in Northern Indiana in 1924.  When she was five, her mother died.  It was her first memory… being at her mother’s funeral.  I know because I asked her.  I asked her lots of questions because I thought it was important to know your roots.  So when I asked her why her brother and sisters didn’t have any children, what she told me was horrific.

You see, after my Grandma’s mother died, the state took the children from her father claiming that he couldn’t take care of them, to say times were hard is an understatement.   It was the Great Depression, who could properly take care of their children?

My Grandma (Mary Helen), her sisters Rosie, Pauline, Anne and her brother Buddy were taken to an orphanage.  While they were there, my Grandma became very ill, she had Diphtheria, was running a high fever, which resulted in her being admitted to the hospital.

Her illness is the reason that I am alive (along with the other 56 people in my family) because, while she was sick, the state STERILIZED her brother and sisters.  How is it possible this happened?  It was horrific and I could go on for…well a long time about the injustice of it for her siblings, but the purpose of this post is that sometimes the blessing is the curse.

As a little girl with a high fever, in yet another strange place, I am sure my Grandma was scared.  She couldn’t have known that her illness would have ultimately led to the birth of her 4 children, 15 Grandchildren, 33 Great-Grandchildren and 4 Great-Great-Grandchildren (and counting).

The moral of this blog: Sometimes the curse is the blessing.  It has really allowed me to be grounded in the knowledge that, “The path you are on is taking you where you are supposed to go.”  It is easy to get caught up in the why me and the why this etc.  If you just have a little faith that it will all work out, it will ; ) My Grandma would tell you that herself if she were still here.

So when I am tweeting, blogging, commenting etc and I start to panic about missing something important; I take a deep breath and know that if I am supposed to see it, read it, find it…I will.  The curse that is the blessing in Social Media: the overabundance of information/education/opportunity.

One more thing…take time-outs from Social Media, the net, work, blogging, and tweeting to enjoy time with your family and friends.  I don’t think that when faced with death people will say, “I should have worked more, tweeted more, blogged more.”  It’s all about perspective.

Thanks for taking the time to read my 1st personal blog post.  I am truly grateful to be here, to share and to have others share with me.  Look forward to your comments.

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About amberlcleveland

Entrepreneurial Marketing Professional who is passionate about Social Media and Social Good. My mantra is "endless possibilities."
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