a brief introduction

Introductions make my skin crawl. In a perfect world, I'd skip right over them and straight into the "let's be best friends" phase. I've lost count of the number of events I've gone to where the ice breaker was, word for word, "what's one interesting fact about you that no one else knows?" Every time I hear that, I just want to disappear into the walls. That being said, hi. My name is Eden, and I'm really glad you're here.

I've been enthralled by the written word ever since I was a little girl. I was an avid reader growing up, and I constantly marveled at authors and their ability to provoke such deep emotions through mere words on paper. My mother loved to read, and I think I got my love of reading from her. One of my favorite memories of her is seeing her curled up in a recliner with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows clutched between her hands. I used to spend countless hours perusing through her collection of books.

My mother passed away when I was just eight years old. I started writing not long after that as a means of therapy. I quickly noticed that writing helped me to elaborate on my thoughts and confront bottled-up feelings of confusion surrounding her death, and it helped me heal a little.

Later, when I turned 15, I started a blog. I mostly wrote about my faith, with the occasional lifestyle post sprinkled here and there (and many cringy fashion suggestions). Through that experience, I found a passion for connecting with others. I've missed that space dearly, and lately I've felt a nudge to start a blog once more.

So, you might be wondering ... "what can I expect from this blog?"

Topics covered might include anything from random life chats, to book reviews, recommendations, and more! There is so much beauty in connection, and I hope you know that you and your stories matter. 

Life is hard. Everyone experiences struggles, but the beautiful thing is that we don't have to face them alone. There have been way too many times in my life where I haven't reached out for help, either because I didn't want to make someone upset, or because I didn't want to be burdensome. However, there is so much value in community. Even as someone who considers herself to be very introverted, I feel so much happier when I'm cultivating relationships and supporting others. 

With all that being said, I'm really excited to connect with you, and I hope you'll decide to stick around for awhile. Thank you for being here.