Monday, February 20, 2012

She Hears The Call of Duty

This is the last in my series, The Great Depression Slayers of 2010.

The seven bloggers I've highlighted in this series so far are the ones that, without exaggeration, have each helped to see me through one of the the most difficult years in my life. I  have been following their blogs for over three years, and I love these women more with every one of their posts.

It's hard to pay a very personal tribute to the very public figure I'm writing about today. I am inspired and grateful to this woman. She is fascinating, complex, and a master of the unexpected.  She writes simply, and universally, of parenthood, marriage, friendship, challenging moments, growing older, and the essence that life is.

I began following Marinka, of the extremely popular Motherhood in NYC, soon after I got online on a snowy morning in 2009.  Back then, I followed a wonderfully funny blogger, Queen of ShakeShake, who is sadly no longer writing. I would see Marinka's clever comments at Queenie's site, and decided to follow her home, hoping she had a blog. She did! The first post I read on Marinka's site was this one, and I laughed out loud. Even slapped my thigh. It felt so good to laugh to the point of tears at a time when I thought I'd forgotten how.

Soon after, she was chosen as the 2010 BlogHer Community Keynote Speaker for Humor. Humor writers are my soft spot -- to write humor is an act of hope and optimism. I see it as an affirmation of the desire of these writers to make people laugh, make them happy, to leave readers smiling as they float through a post. Marinka's writing is realistic, wise, and very funny, it's hard not to be swept off your feet on any visit to Motherhood in NYC -- every post is a good post.

Since 2009, I have turned to her site for comfort in laughter; she has become my friend and is part of my life.

My morning click over to her site has become automatic. Whether it's real life drama and the angst of our children growing up, a humorous look at growing older, or being moved by the story of her husband replacing his wedding ring after he's lost it, she is now in the fabric of my days.

I've been so very fortunate in my blogging life to have some good things happen to me, but one of the early can't-believe-this-is-my-life moments came in the way of an email from Marinka. Aside from my eyes bugging out of my head at seeing *Marinka* in my inbox, I was bowled over by an invitation from her asking me to guest post on her site. There is no way to explain the surreal feeling of being asked to post on a site of one of the world's funniest bloggers. I spent two days preparing my post for her, and I explained to my children that the honor of this woman thinking I was funny enough to feature was one worth the two nights of Special K for dinner that we were having. My guest post there is here. I was as proud as anyone can imagine, and still regret not having that zazzle.com T shirt made in celebration of that momentous occasion in my life. I may still order it. 

My life is  better because I have her to share it with. Marinka gifts us with a little levity to life and I find it so beautiful that the desire of a humorist is to bring some joy into every one's day and to act on that -- somehow funny people know just how therapeutic a good laugh can be. And wanting to make people smile, what a powerful and personal ideal.

Marinka, I love you for so many reasons, and from the bottom of my grateful heart, and all the other hearts that you have made happier with your astounding talent of writing, I say thank you. I can't put into words what knowing you has done to my days here on this planet. What I want you to find here today is an attempt to express my emotion in the joy that I know many, many others share and have found, through your site. You have brought laughter into our lives.

Thank you for the love and support you've given to so many of us during the good times, and especially the more difficult times. It's made the biggest of differences to each of us.

Marinka, Motherhood in NYC
 

We are friends because of the laughs we spend, and the tears we save.  -- A Poem of Friendship, Nikki Giovanni 

P.S. Why did I choose Marinka as the last featured Depression Slayer? Because all of the aforementioned bloggers in this Great Depression Slayers series stem from finding Marinka's site. They commented at Motherhood in NYC, and that's how I found them. If you want to find funny bloggers, check out the commenters on a funny blogger's site; because guess what? Funny people follow funny blogs. 


And that's why Marinka is the grand finale to this series. Thank you to all of you for listening and giving me a voice to tell my story. I love my readers.

Want to know more about Marinka? You can find her at The Mouthy Housewives (a humorous advice site that I LOVE -- they published my letter) or order her book, WANTED: CAT. I have two. 
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**This blogger was one of the handful so implicit in my making it through the winters and the seasonal depression they bring, before I began my own blog in 2010 and became a part of this incredible online community. During this month, I'll be highlighting the bloggers I call "The Great Depression Slayers of 2010." To the crucial ones I clung to before I began blogging, the ones that pulled me through, I thank you.

38 comments:

  1. nice...very cool that not only did you have these people to help you through...but that you honor them so...nice empress....

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Brian. These 8 women were so important to me that rough year, before I began blogging and met so many other wonderful people.

      I really had to tell them. Why keep that knowledge to myself? Thank you for becoming one of the original crew from my early days. Thank you.

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  2. Thank you for sharing your depression slayers--I would say you have no idea how much it means to me but I know you do. I know you do.

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    1. Lizbeth, right? When we are this grateful to someone, we need to let them know.

      Thanks for understanding.

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  3. You make such a community in everything you do. I LOVE YOU.

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    1. Oh, Suni..with you, I could be sisterwives. In fact, I daydream about it.

      xo

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  4. It's true... funny people do follow funny blogs.
    Believe it or not, I've never visited her site.
    Of course, I will be now.
    Love your Great Depression Slayers series.
    It's a gift I need right now.

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    1. Beautiful lady: you come here any time, I will always be smiling when I see you.

      Never alone, remember that...xo

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  5. Marinka is one of the funniest people on the internet. Someone needs to give her a book deal. SERIOUSLY UNIVERSE, GIVE HER A BOOK DEAL!

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    1. She is, hands down, the most original and quickest wit around.

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    2. Agreed! Her talent baffles me!

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  6. That post of Marinka's was really funny - it was before I read her so it was nice to have a taste of one I hadn't read yet.

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    1. She is one in a million, so very hard to replicate her style.

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  7. You already know I love this series: for its generosity, its universality, its community.

    But on a different note, let me say (in honor of this last post) how very glad I am that your depression was slain.

    However it happened.

    A combination of your own strength of will and these incredible bloggers, of God and Fate and Love?

    For all of it.
    I am grateful.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Julie..I hardly know what to say: thank you.

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  8. I just checked out her blog and am a new follower!

    I wonder how many depressions you have slain yourself, Alexandra, with your attentiveness, compassion and humor. Someday someone will write such a post about you.

    xo

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    1. Cece: you will love following her. ANY day you're there, your life is enriched. Whether she is being funny or talking about life, her posts always work: which is the definition of universal to me.

      Good to have you back, dear friend.

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  9. ----Dear A,
    Thank you for sharing your talented friends w/ us.

    You are genersou & fantasmagorical. (i've been waiting to use that word!) just for you.

    Love Love Love.

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  10. Thank you for writing such nice and true things about Marinka - so now I don't have to. And next time I feel grateful towards her, I'll just send her a link to this post.

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  11. Okay, I can see I have some catching up to do and I do not believe I've ever read Marinka's blog, so will start there. Thanks as always Empress. I did not know you have had a bad year. I'm sorry for my absence and will catch up!

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  12. You are right. Keeper. I'm keeping her:-)

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  13. Marinka is by far my favorite blogger! She has the absolute best sense of humor. I follow many, many blogs (I'm a reader, not a writer) and nobody else comes close! This is a great tribute to her, she deserves it.

    Mary in MI

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  14. Marinka was one of my first online discoveries: she showed me how to write about NYC. She makes me laugh AND think. Whenever she replies to a tweet of mine, or forwards one along, I get all OOOHHH MARINKA. So I second all that you say here. That's one thing. Second thing? Your generosity this month in talking about & praising these bloggers--you're giving the interwebs a good name, that's what. Connecting people to good writing and being aware that actually, in fact, there is enough room out here in the ether for ALL of us--that's what this series has done. And for that (and oh, yeah, there's all that good writing too--plus pico de gallo recipes!) YOU are in a lot of OUR lists of "bloggers who matter." So there.

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  15. Empress, what a great idea, this series! I had to come out and comment on this post, because I know and love Marinka and I know and love you, but I've only met one of you in real life! (When is our next opportunity?!?!) She is as funny in person as she is online----which means I'm often left staring at her blankly before I realize the joke is on me, again.

    xoxo

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  16. I heart this series sooo much - and of course, Marinka is the TOPS! And I agree, being asked to guest post there was a major highlight. When you order your t-shirt, remind me to order mine.

    xoxo

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  17. Oh, your Empressness, thank you. Thank you for being so kind and generous.

    Of course I'm far too modest and bashful to do anything but protest the lovely things that you've (and your commentors!) have written about me, but between us, my tail is very waggy. Very. Waggy.

    xo

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  18. OMG, who can not adore Marinka? She is truly the cream of the crop. It's a cliche, I know - but it's true!!

    So glad your depression was slayed, my dear!

    XO

    A.

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  19. Thank you for introducing us to such wonderful women!

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  20. That was honestly one of the nicest posts I've ever seen written about anyone. I couldn't agree more about how utterly fabulous Marinka is (and how excited I am every time one of her posts hits my inbox... or that one time she commented on one of my own posts) but don't sell yourself short. You have the same amazing affect on your readers! I only wish I made it here more often. I need to really change that. =)

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  21. What a way to wrap up this sensational series -- with Marinka. And your writing about her is like Meryl Streep presenting the Oscar for best performance by an actress to... uh... Meryl Streep. You both inspire me and crack me the hell up. I will admit that of the two of you, Marinka makes me go more embarrassingly fangirl. You're like the girlfriend I never see who I just fall into conversation with; Marinka causes me to natter on like Drew Barrymore on Letterman. I've stopped short of flashing her my boobs, but just barely.

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  22. I think YOU are amazing, and a wonderful blogger in happy to have met. And, of course, I simply adore/worship/love/admire Marinka SO much! She's hilarious. And completely awesome.

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  23. Thank you for not being selfish with your friends! You are fabulous,and this funny place is where I followed the funny from and to!

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  24. So true - ALL of it! Marinka, you, your sense of community, the humor - these comments are all spot-on. I want to say thanks to all of you who brighten my day. It is so true that you can find a wealth of good bloggers by reading the comments - it's usually where I find my favorite writers, too! But, one last word about the beauty and talent of humor writers: that stuff is hard to do, people! Be funny, that is. I try it, and am not good at it, so I just leave it to the pros. Carry on, funny people (the rest of us need you!)

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  25. I still remember that very awesome guest post you did for Marinka. This is such a great series you are running here, I love reading about your favorites as you've always been a huge inspiration to me.

    XOXO

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  26. Utter brilliance and so very well deserved. How we all adore Marinka! I have repeated my absolute favorite Marinka line to so many people and it goes a little something like this: "I woke up feeling really sick today and decided to stay in bed. Then I remembered that I'm not a man and I got up."

    Bless you for this series, Empress. xxoo.

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  27. I had the pleasure of meeting MarinkaNYC in person at Mom2.0 last year. You should know she's not nearly as funny in person...I have a feeling her daughter does much of the writing for her on that site.

    I'm not trying to be a hater...I mean I DO subscribe to her blog posts...I just don't want you to be disappointed if you ever come face to face with her.

    (I had to force her to hug me).

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  28. What a lovely post. I must admit Marinka's blog was the first I ever read as well. And following comments on her site was how my first community of bloggers came about. You were one of the first I connected on Twitter with :) It is mostly about the connections between us all I love blogging so much.

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  29. Marinka: she gets incredible, incredible traffic, yet stays so humble.

    She is such a clever, naturally born comedian, yet she stays appreciative.

    She is a wonderful person. I am lucky to know her.

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