Bonding Through Blogging

Posted on by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes
Finding people who love the same things as we do is sometimes one of the hardest challenges in life. You find yourself in front of something that makes you feel all sorts of things and need someone on who you could simply dump it all on and expect that that person will completely understand you and will hence unload their own thoughts and feelings back on you.

That’s where the blogging community comes in.

A virtual world where there’s someone left and right, up and down, who’s just been waiting after you their whole life.

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If there’s one thing that is undeniable about being part of a blogging community, it is this opportunity to find people who love the same things as we do. Whether it’s books, comics, shows or movies, this community assures us that there’s always someone on the other side of the phone who is ready to fangirl/fanboy with us, and that is amazing.
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By having all these wonderful folks gathered into this virtual universe we also find ourselves connecting with people who understand all the glorious bookworm moments we encounter, but also the struggles that only a reader could relate to. These moments of empathy from all of us in the blogging community reminds us that we’re not alone, even if there isn’t a breathing soul out there in our real-life social circles who bothers to pick up a book for their personal enjoyment.openminded
Do you know how satisfying it is to also run into folks who destroy our sandboxes wide open in order to see things differently? People in the community help us look at things differently, especially things that we might have thought were completely figured out and free of any different interpretation. This intellectual stimulation that is mostly done unconsciously through interaction and sharing of thoughts is what makes this blogging community so beautiful.

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With time, it’s sort of inevitable that this kind of interaction develops into a friendship that you will cherish for a very long time in your life. You come to acknowledge that all the back-and-forth with certain bloggers have influenced you positively in one way or another and that every interaction with them is precious to you.

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While bonding with all these wonderful bloggers has been incredible, it’s hard to not notice all the obstacles that you can run into. One of the biggest ones worth noting is the distance. Most of us don’t live next to each other. The odds of being neighbours are incredibly slim, and a bit demoralizing when you realize there are oceans separating some of us. Wishing that we were just next door from one another is really just a bookworm’s dream.
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With distance also comes the various time zones. There’s nothing like knowing that you’d have to wait a couple of hours before getting an answer from that blogger friend of yours and then having to wait a couple of more hours before you wake up to answer back. This simply diminishes the possibility of having conversations with them even more. And then we have to take into consideration the whole issue with schedules and all the things we all have to do outside of blogging. No one is spared of responsibilities after all.
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It’s also worth noticing that there are cliques that are formed within the blogging community that are sometimes impossible to break through. The relationship between some bloggers is so intense that communicating with some of them feels like a life-threatening task. Maybe a bit of an exageration, but it’s no lie that some people prefer sticking to their group of friends rather than building relationships with all those curious and shy folks who wishes to bond over a book or two.
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And then there’s the platform on which we all are. Some don’t use any social media application, while others prioritize certain applications over others. While one blogger is intensely active on Twitter, the other might be much more present on Instagram. The impossibility of being everywhere at the same time makes connecting harder, and ultimately forces us to be selective in what we want or don’t want to do.

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The biggest reason why we wanted to share all of this today with you guys is because of the loss of certain bloggers in the community in the past months. When you blog a couple of times a week consistently and keep this hobby as a part of your life style for a couple of years you sort of realize that there are people who come and go.

It is those that go that sort of had us realizing that life has a lot of surprises that aren’t the kind you want to run into.

The death of bloggers is one of those and it is sometimes a truly shocking moment when you learn that someone you interacted with (even if it’s just a little), isn’t part our world anymore. Things like these can hit you hard—especially when you only learn about this news days or weeks later—and makes you wonder about all the bonds you currently have with bloggers and forces you to understand that theses forces that are always against us are here to stay and that the only way to deal with them is to never take anything for granted.

It is why we wanted to thank all the bloggers who take the time to interact with us and who bring a little bit of happiness into our lives with all the kindness they share with us.

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You are all so, so important to us and we mean it with all of our heart. It’s easy to go every day thinking that you guys will always be there to support us, but it is important for us to let you know that you are all more than just likes and comments. You all more than just numbers that stack up at the end of the day. You are all more than just words left at the end of our posts to show your support.
You are all friends that we love and cherish.
Thank you for everything.
Yours,
Lashaan & Trang

Published by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Reader. Reviewer. Researcher. Criminology Ph.D. Candidate. Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Want to know more? Connect with him!

110 thoughts on “Bonding Through Blogging”

  2. Wow….you guys are amazing you know that? This post was absolutely wonderful, and that’s pretty much an understatement. This one captures perfectly all the things that I love about blogging, but also the most important thing to me: the many people I would have never met and know if I had not started my blog. It’s been an absolute blast, and you guys are certainly one big part of that. Thanks for bringing so much joy every time you write a post, and for being such truly terrific human beings. As a fellow blogger who we all know and love is always so fond of saying: you guys rock ! 😊😊

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    2. Man, you got to chill on all the kind words to dish out like that. I’m really glad that you could relate so much with this post though. Sometimes you just have to take the moment to realize how wonderful these things are. Being right in the middle of it, we sometimes don’t even see its awesomeness. Thanks again for the kind words, my man. I’m glad to have got to interact with you as well, sir! 😀

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    1. Omgad thank you Nikola !! 😍 You are one of the few who I get to talk a lot on different platform as well 👏 I really hope we can meet each other one day and talk about books and exchange ARCS LOOL 😏😏

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  4. Au contraire, I AM just a number 😉
    3.1465259 to be exact, lol!

    I haven’t had any bloggers I know pass away, but I have had people start blogging really strong with really good stuff and then poof, they just stop. It’s happened enough in the (almost) 2 years that I’ve been fulltime on wordpress that I’m forced to realize that is the norm and NOT people sticking around for years and years and posting every week.

    So here’s to online friendship! *raises a glass*

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      1. Yeah, ok, you caught me! I’m a bit too flamboyant and opinionated to be “just a number”, hahahaha. But I definitely am a contrarian 🙂

        And I am really glad I found you two back in ’16. I’m not even sure how I did to be honest. Good times….

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    2. All right, Mr. 3.1465259 (Sounds like a prison tag number LOL). I still appreciate your friendship, even if you’re just a number. 🤣 I’ve seen that a lot more too, and it’s sort of just as unfortunate since you can’t tell if something bad happened to them or not too. Losing a friend is never fun, that’s for sure.

      Y-E-S to friendship! *raises a glass*

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      1. Yep, I’m living in an online dystopia, so I only get a number 😉

        I’ve contacted a couple of people over the years when they went offline and 90% of the time it was just life, but once was an older guy who had a heart attack. In all cases though, it never got further than “Thanks for checking in, have a good life now.” So now, I just leave people alone. If they want, they can do a post saying “Life, Busy, See Ya” or some such. If they don’t, that is on them, not me.

        What would be nice about friendship would be if it got you paid vacation time! I really don’t want to go to work this morning 😉

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Au contraire, I think even without social media you are great at connecting with other bloggers 😍❤️ Thank you for all the positive feedback you’ve done !

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    2. We’re all restrained in time and sometimes in words too (not always easy to find what you want to say, you know), but anyone who invests time into other people is already amazing for that alone. Thank you for being around and feel free to share whatever is on your mind with us Kristin!! 😀

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      1. Ain’t that the truth. Honestly, I always thought that it was merely a life change. Until one day I learned that one of my blogger friends had tragically passed away in a car accident! Now I always wonder… 😦 But you’re right, we should always hope for the best.

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    2. Thank you Jackie! It’s staggering beyond understanding. There are folks out there that you think are doing really fine and then they are suddenly struck with bad luck. Life is filled with surprises. 😦 All we can do is stay positive and show love as much as possible! 😀

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      1. Exactly! That’s what I love the most about the book blogging community. I have never seen such a positive force in the world. We don’t always do a great job showing love to our community publically like this, but I find all my interactions to be reaffirming. ❤ Life is hard. The best we can do is stick together.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Great post, and very true! I came to cherish many online blogging friendships, despite the distance and the differences of opinion 🙂 So I second Bookstooge in the online toast to friendship! 🙂

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    2. Thank you, sir. Same here. I mean… There’s no way I could have found peepz like you in real life. Hence why these online blogging friends are precious and are not to be taken for granted. Thanks for being a part of this community, sir! 🙂

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  13. You guys are so sweet!! 😊💕 i’m so happy I came across your blog, life happened and I kind of stopped reading but you made me want to read a lot again 😊 also, you both are amazing and I’m sure all your community will agree on that 😄
    I’ve had a few online friends and I can related with everything you said! Online friendships are very special bonds, they can be really strong and suddenly incredibly weak and they always leave you weirdly empty when you lose them. I’m very sorry to hear you’ve experienced the loss of people you knew and I hope you’re fine.
    Sending you lots of love and hope to meet you one day 😄

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    1. EUH HELL YEAH WE GONNA MEET GIRL U COMING HERE RIGHT 😏❤️ Hahaha thank you so much Caroline! Your words mean everything to us ! It is a very special bond that I don’t think I get to experience anywhere else 🙆🏻‍♀️

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    2. Aww man, thank you so much for all the kind words, Caroline! Your positive attitude and passion are just as precious to us too. Thank you for being a part of this community and I hope we’ll get to know each other even more over the years (especially once you fly over to our hood!) 😀 Stay awesome, girl!!

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    2. Yep. 😦 Losing a friend is never going to be easy, and losing one that you were bonding with online makes it all particularly uncomfortable. It’s why we should make the most of every interaction we have with everyone. Thanks for stopping by Francis! 🙂

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  16. I definitely didn’t tear up while reading this.
    Okay. I kind of did.
    This is such a beautiful and very important post, thank you so, so much for writing it and sharing it with the world. I love how blogging creates friendships, people you can trust with more than just book recommendations, it is one of the best things ever ❤ ❤ ❤

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    1. AWWW GIRLL ❤️❤️❤️😭 Thank you for everything you’ve done ! You’re one of the few who’s been with us for the whole three years 👏🙆🏻‍♀️ and always spread positive vibes all around ! Je t’adore❤️

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    2. Hahahah awwn. Thank you so much for your kind words, and you already know how precious you are to us. I totally love how we discover new folks every day and connect with so many people without any problems!! Here’s to all the awesome bonds we’ve made, including the one with you! 😉

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  17. This is such a lovely post, and you both are incredible bloggers and amazing people I am so glad I met thanks to blogging! ❤
    There are so many amazing benefits to blogging and this community we have here as well. I am so thankful I started blogging and got involved in the community, honestly I don't know what I'd be doing now if I wasn't blogging but it wouldn't be anything nearly as fun and worthwhile as this is.
    Again great post. 🙂 ❤

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    1. Thank you so much Beth !!😍 I don’t know what would I do without blogging either ! And I can say the same thing for you 🤩 We bonded through blogging along with a lot of book recommendations and I confirm a lot of taste similarities too 😍

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    2. Ohhhhh, thank you so much Beth!! ❤ You are just as awesome and I'm a truly glad to have had the chance to run into you through this blogging world. Your positive self is an incontestable and necessary part of this blogosphere! Triple yes to how amazing blogging is and to all the people we got to meet through it! 😀

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  18. Two blog friends that I knew have passed away and even though I hadn’t ever seen those people irl, I felt their loss and it came as a shock to me. It’s wonderful to connect with blog friends though and I’m very grateful for all of the friendship. Lovely post!

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    2. I’m sorry to hear about those losses. 😦 We also heard of 2 bloggers who passed away and were stunned by their departure (we would never have guessed such a thing could be possible). It’s why all the friends we make online are so important to cherish. Stay awesome, Inge. ❤

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  19. Thank you for this beautiful post! I have made such great friendships through blogging and whenever I notice someone disappearing I start to worry immensely. As you mentioned, most of us aren’t neighbors or even in the same time zone, so it is terrible when you can’t find out what’s going on directly. I really, really appreciate that you talked about this and I hope you both know how much I appreciate you as bloggers and people as well ❤

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    1. KAT!! 😭😭😍 Thank you so much for your lovely words ! It came as a shock when I learned the real reason behind it but yes like you said, it’s even more scary when you don’t hear about them for a long time and you don’t know what happened. And a big thank you for being part of this community 😍

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    2. Same to you, Kat. Your enthusiasm and awesomeness is quintessential to our blogging experience and heavily influenced us too. Thank you for everything and stay amazing, Kat! I can’t imagine what blogging would have been if you were never a part of this community!!!! I reciprocate the appreciation. Times two. 😀

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  21. Aw I like this post! I wouldn’t know what to do with myself without the online BOOK blogging community. There are not that many people around me who love reading, so I am very grateful that I can chat, share & fangirl with all you lovely folks online 🙂

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    1. I totally agree. This community is a formidable extension to my life and everyone has been such wonderful people out here too. There’s nothing like being restrained to yourself and having no one to talk to about books and what not. Thank YOU for being a part of it. ❤

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  22. Nice post. 🙂 I had a year on Facebook once and realised how much more I get out of interactions online with comparative strangers than with a number of supposed friends.

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    1. Thanks Graham! Aw man, as sad as that it, it is true. There a peers with whom you can’t even go beyond “What’cha think about the weather?”. It’s unfortunate, but at least we have this amazing community where there’s always someone with whom we can have significant interactions with! 😀

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  24. Aww man. And thanks to you both too. I appreciate you both.
    The fangirling on here is one of my favorite things about blogging. And the distance is one of the worst. It would be nice to connect with some folks IRL.

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    1. Thanks, Z! Givin’ ya mad respect for sticking around for so long too. 😉 Totally agree with you. We’ll just have to be extra happy that we at least have peepz with whom we can interact and fangirl/fanboy with. Maybe some day we’ll all be rich enough to travel and meet everyone we want to meet. 😀

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  26. I love love love love this post and love you guys. I remember feeling so lonely before. Then I started blogging and I never felt as lonely ever since. People come and go, blogs stay or fizzle out, people choose to go or not, but there is a strong sense of community and I think of all the people who take time to interact with me as more than just a name. I value different opinion, I love fangirling, I smile when I get news from someone. Bloggers make me happy, make my life bigger, fuller, happier. We are lucky 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much, Meggy! Your thorough and very factual comment is everything. The blogging community is an ensemble of friends that I would probably never have gotten in my life if it were for this blog. Every single person who takes the time to read what I have to say and connect with me beyond the blog make me so much more happy about having never given up on this blog. Even when my content is not their cup of tea, these online buddies always find it in themselves to show amazing support and to never show any disinterest. ❤ Thanks for being part of the community and keep on smiling, Meggy. 🙂

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  27. Great piece guys, very poignant and heartfelt. Sorry to hear about the sad loss of someone within the community, there are blogs I’ve followed over the last few years that I really enjoyed and interacting with their authors that no longer post and I often wonder where they have gone. Good to see Bookidote still going strong!

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    1. Thanks man, I appreciate that. I wasn’t particularly connected to those that we heard passed away in the past months, but having known them and had a word or two with them, it was still pretty stunning. It made me think about having to live through a similar situation but with friends with whom I had much more interaction with, like you, good sir. It definitely wouldn’t be the same to blog without these friends you make within the blogging community. Keep on geeking out my good friend. 🙂

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  28. Oh, you guys are so sweet! 🤗❤️
    Loved this post a lot! I agree, one can develop friendship online. I used to have some online friends i talked to almost daily, and for a couple of years, and it felt like any face to face friendship 😃

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    1. Thank YOU for being a part of this online community, Norrie! 😛 I totally agree. It’s really just about connecting with a person’s personality and interest. Things can’t go wrong there. Unless you discover the person is actually a snake… Figuratively or literally, it doesn’t matter at this point. 🤣

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  29. Great post, guys!! Sometimes when I feel low, Its the place where I find people who can truly understand my feelings.. love you ALLLLLLLLLLL ❤

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  30. Sorry to hear someone you knew passed away. When someone stops blogging, I can’t run over to see if they’re okay. Just got to share the blog love. The best part blogging is coming and read yours Lashaan and Trang’s reviews and thoughts. Always great passion and love for the many types of storytelling. Being part of the blogging community and finding others who see things likewise makes the world a bit brighter! ♥️♥️

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    1. Although I didn’t have much interaction with those who I discovered passed away, it was still worth pondering about all the relationships we do have in this community. You’re too kind, Dani. Thank you for your amazing support, interest and love for us. ❤ I'm glad you engaged me way back then and got me to discover you and your blog. A valued friendship, I have with you. 😉 Stay awesome! 😀

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