*Oh, dear. I didn't get a chance to finish this yesterday, so I'm afraid it's a day late. Guess I'll just finish what I started. Sorry about the belatedness.*

Today is Ben the Editor Day, and I find myself in the difficult position of not knowing what to say. But I feel obliged to do something, so here goes nothing.

   Other writers have told their stories, about how they needed a place to share their writing, about how apricotpie was a shining light in a dark world deprived of appreciative audiences and good critics. Stories of how important to them this place has become, the friends they've made here, and how it has helped them to grow as a person. Lovely writings, all around. Now what am I to do? Because my AP story is in no way as touching or significant as any of theirs. But I shall tell it anyway; what else am I to do?

   I don't even remember how I found apricotpie, but when I did, my first reaction was, what a great idea! A place for homeschoolers and only homeschoolers to share their writings. I was not much of a writer at the time, though. I enjoyed some of my school papers that allowed for more creativity, and I scribbled a bit of poetry on rare occasions when I felt an idea worth putting down. That's where AP became beneficial for me. I joined hoping that being a part of this would encourage me to write more, and it did. If not for AP, I probably would never have written either of my two stories, and poetry would have continued to be naught but a boredom buster, rather than something I spend time and conscious effort on.

   How about some more singing of praises ? This is what I wrote about AP when I applied to be a monthly writer:

   Hm, a short statement about what attracts me to apricotpie. How about, everything? It's a wonderland of reading material and raw talent. I've read things here that I think are better than some more famous, published works. It allows for young homeschooled writers to share their work with and learn from one another. There are people on apricotpie from varying walks of life, all with two things in common; homeschooling and a love of writing. It's a family, a community. It is my favorite place to share my writing because I know it will be read with both a friendly and a critical point of view.

That about sums it up. Now, by extension, these are all reasons why Ben is awesome! If he hadn't started this website, not to mention sticking with it over the years in spite of a busy life and multiple technical problems....well, can you imagine a world without apricotpie? I'm not sure I want to try, especially after reading the other girls' essays. For this, Ben fully deserves his own holiday, and I'm glad he has one so that we could do this. So thank you, Ben, for founding apricotpie and for continuing to have faith both in it and in us.

P.S.
 I'd also like to mention that I'll always be slightly biased in Ben's favor, because he went to the University of Dallas, my first choice school. Make that, more than a first choice; UD or BUST! *high-fives to Ben* :-D