For those who are not familiar with the Write to Ignite Blogging Project, just a little background. More than a blogging competition, the Write to Ignite Blogging Project aims to serve as a platform where bloggers can share inspiring stories with their readers.

The maiden edition of the Write to Ignite Blogging Project was launched during the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. It gathered stories from bloggers on their lives during the pandemic and how they were coping with the uncertainties.

My entry at that time was “Unli Dapa,” which was about how we took advantage of the work suspension to spend time with our two little children at home. It was more of making up for lost time, having unlimited playtime, and turning a negative situation into something positive. I also likened the Filipinos’ fighting spirit to that of little children who would fall and stumble but would stand up each time to try again. My entry won 7th place in the first Write to Ignite Blogging Project.

The second Write to Ignite Blogging Project was held in 2021 and was more introspective in the sense that the theme asked bloggers to assess how they had been in the past year and what they wanted to tell their pre-pandemic selves. I wrote a long piece entitled “An Unlikely Conversation” and poured out my heart and thoughts on the topic. While I was happy that my entry was included in the top 40, I didn’t make the cut to the top 20.

Anyway, I almost didn’t join the last Write to Ignite Blogging Project because it required entries to be in an interview format, featuring people who they dream of interviewing. I deviated from the format because the person that I wanted to interview was my son Miguel. However, I couldn’t proceed with the interview since Miguel is a non-verbal autistic boy. What I did then was to write about my dream interview and how I imagined it would go. I wrote and submitted it at the last minute, that’s why I wasn’t really expecting anything. I was just happy to participate again and share our story.

When the announcement came out that I was part of the top 40, I was beyond satisfied. During the announcement of the winners, I was happy to clap for my favorite bloggers as their names were called. But then, it was announced that I was top 11; my heart was filled with gratefulness and glee!

It was also the best birthday gift because the announcement came a week before my 42nd birthday. It also came at the right time because I’ve been asking myself if I still provide value as a blogger and if it’s still worth it to share stories in a real blog. That win erased all doubts and gave me the courage to continue sharing stories.

Do you have a similar story? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

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