Today marks the one-year anniversary of HBlog.

Anniversaries can be a funny thing. Sometimes we observe them out of tradition or obligation. Sometimes they’re a sentimental touchstone, a reminder of what matters most. I can’t believe that Esteban and I will soon be celebrating our 20^th wedding anniversary, or that our dog Arrow has been gone for almost five years.

I also can’t believe how much has happened in the past year. I’ve uploaded 246 posts, received 85 comments, and have twice been saved from Spam. (Thank you, WordPress!) I’ve also found my voice, developed a discipline, contemplated my mortality, and made some new friends. It’s been a wonderful adventure.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about taking HBlog offline. My journey of late has been a bit more contemplative and introspective — and much more private, too. But then I think of other blogs I love that are also deeply personal and introspective.

I especially wish there were a way to tell Sandy Beardsley how much her words have touched me. It’s strange to think that those words are all that remain of her. And to consider that one day, these words will be all that remains of me, too.

So I’ve decided to continue tapping at my laptop for another year. In the words of that frail old guy in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “I’m not quite dead yet.”