First off, thank you and congrats to anyone that opted to recognize Hive's one year anniversary! For those who are unaware, I ran a bit of a contest based off of a Twitter post to help spread some good cheer and awareness about our lovely little chain. I was shocked with the number of responses as so many other people jumped into the giveaway madness and generous fun! @jizzyjoe ran a 5 day challenge to encourage people. @traciyork and @theycallmedan both had fun all over Twitter. Even my old buddy @daltono got in and was giving things away!

There was also a killer Spanish #hivemeetup I would have liked to attend I heard was pretty spectacular. Great way to commemorate the milestone. At the time, I was having my own little birthday celebration for my (now) 4 year old. More on that soon, I promise. I know you love those super cute pictures as much as I do 😋

And The Winners Are:

This was tough, honestly. There were a plethora of high quality and heartfelt entries! Some of them were here when Hive was born, others were new to the whole landscape but jumped in anyway! Ready?

• 1st Place: I loved the one that was put out by @beatriche! She gave a brief explanation - as, like me, could have gone for hours - about what it all means to her. You can read her post here and tell her what you think! Your 50 HIVE will be along shortly after this posts.
• 2nd Place: This next one I really loved because not only did they explain what their short time here means to them, but also owned up to a mistake and took responsibility in this post here. Conrats @zanoz, 20 HIVE is on the way!
• 3rd Place: The final winning entry goes to a very well crafted piece that I really liked because of what she said about renewing. You can read @miriannalis' wonderful Hive story here! 10 HIVE will be sent to you soon!
• Honorable Mentions: @elizabeths14, @evegrace, @casilokodesing, @antoniojoseha, @kaerpediem, @isabelpena, @glotokens, @marybellrg and @lizelle. 2 HIVE will be sent to all of you for my appreciation of your work.

What Does It Mean To Me?

Didn't really ask myself, but in case anyone was curious, it means progress and moving forward. Often times in life, we find obstacles we must hurdle successfully before we can move on to any great change that takes place. During this marathon, we have bounded over many a trial and tribulation and have come out better for it. I've made new friends and family along the way and will always be grateful for that! And as I close this piece, do REMEMBER TO BE YOU! I always am, even when tornadoes and floods threaten my life.