I got this email from the NY Times last night and spent a good while thinking about my answers. While I'm not sure they will post any of my commentary, I thought I might as well share with the general populace why Stephanie Nielson is an inspiration to me . . . . The first paragraph is the email I received (I'm not sure how they got my info) on Tuesday night. My answers are in red.
Hello,
Hello,
I'm a writer for the New York Times, and I'm working (with the cooperation of the family) on a story about Stephanie Nielson of and the tremendous online support she and her husband have received since their accident. I want to find out why people are so devoted to her blog and interested in her story. Since I'm reaching out to several people, please try to respond to my questions below in an e-mail, and I can follow up by telephone. Please include a phone number, as well as your age, city, and occupation. I'm under a very tight deadline, so if you could respond ASAP---early Wednesday, if possible---I'd really appreciate it.
My questions are:
* Have you ever met Stephanie in person? If not, how long have you been reading her blog? How did you discover it? How often did you read it?
Stephanie grew up in the same neighborhood I did. She was my younger bro's age, but I remember her . . . I've been reading her blog since late 2005. I discovered it through her sister Courtney's blog. Courtney was/is a friend of mine. I read the blog a few times a week---and catch up on all of her posts.
* How does Nie Nie Dialogues stand out from other "mommy blogs?"
While Stephanie is definitely aware that she has an audience, she isn't writing strictly for an audience. She has an agenda, but it seems very authentic to who she is. I like that it's not a product endorsement blog, but just a glimpse into the happiest parts of her life.
* Has Stephanie provided any personal inspiration for you? If so, how? Have you done anything in your own life to follow the example she has set? Did you ever get any ideas (on child-rearing, marriage, home decoration) from her blog?
Stephanie certainly has inspired me at many points---I used to read it and feel a little bit bad about myself sometimes----I certainly am not as this or that or the other as Stephanie . . . and my life isn't always so beautiful. But something about her blog was infectious and I couldn't stop reading. And then I came to terms with the fact that even Stephanie's life must have the yucky moments, but she wants to highlight the positive and the beautiful. The world certainly needs more positive, beautiful, passionate moments & positive, beautiful, and passionate people. Stephanie chose to share those moments and people with us, and for that, we are lucky!
* How have you personally responded to the news of her accident?
* Why have so many people who never met Stephanie felt so moved by her story?
She obviously inspired so many people to live full-er lives. To cuddle their kids more, to have more passionate relationships with their spouses, to eat more healthily, to be more deliberate about their homes. We all feel like we know Stephanie pretty well-----we were offered daily glimpses into her life--------and so it's weird to not have those glimpses any more. We got used to checking in on Gigs and Claire and Jane and Ollie and Stephanie and Mr. Nielson. And now that she's unable to tell the story, we are missing out on something joyful.
* Have you done anything personally (donated money, run an auction?) to help out the family since the accident? Please give details.
I own www.darlybird.com. I am a friend/acquaintance of Gabby Blair, owner of designmom.com. I offered a fun "Nie for a Day" package from Darlybird to be auctioned off at designmom on NieNie day. I also have a pair of Vintage NieNie earrings on Darlybird, where $5.00 of each pair sold (50%) will be donated to the recovery fund. I've sold a lot of NieNie earrings! The only other thing I can do is offer silent prayers for her body to heal and for her children to be watched over.ADDENDUM: After rereading my answers, I want to offer a couple more thoughts:
1. I am thrilled that cjane has taken it upon her to record the goings-on of the Nielson family. I don't mean to insinuate that the torch has been left cold-----cjane's doing a grand job of keeping us in the loop. I look forward to her updates, and like I said before, check obsessively!
2. In an attempt to not claim too much of a closeness to Nie in light of jumping on board after a tragedy, I neglected to mention that I've had several exchanges with her over the past few years via email. I sponsored a few giveaways on NieNie Dialogues and was flattered that she'd consider Darlybird a worthy sponsor. She was always gracious and happy in her emails, usually ending with her signature "kisses" salutation.
3. I realize there are a kajillion people who are closer to Stephanie than I am. But since I was asked to answer the questions---and I doubt my answers will be printed---I realized I might as well share what I had thought about.
4. I have OCD. And so after posting this pre-addendum, I thought I might've come of as insensitive. And then it gnawed at me until I did as I do----here I am making a mountain out of a molehill. Such is I. Or me?
