Over the past 5 years, many women here have shared many wise and witty and wonderful wisdoms in these forums. I have been the grateful recipient of so much of your love, care, wisdom and kindness throughout the painful journey I've had to make after losing both parents, brother, close in-laws and friends through death all within the past 10 years. You've also carried me through an excruciatingly painful patch these past few years without even knowing the cause of that pain (I still am not at liberty to share it publicly). You have all poured your hearts, prayers and wisdoms into my heart and life.

I just want to tell you that all of your kindnesses continue to heal, inspire, transform and guide me…the ripple effect of your love is ongoing and unimaginably empowering. Even words and actions from many years ago continue to affect and heal…like Nancy’s roses, Chatty’s little care packages to my brother, Dotsie & JJ’s phone call after my brother died, PM’s and emails throughout the years…these have ALL meant a great deal to me and have been like rungs on the ladder out of the darkness back to the light.

I finally feel like I’m waking up from the nightmare of the past few years. I finally feel emotionally empowered, creative again, little surges of joy spiking through my soul after years of feeling nothing at all…I feel like you have all helped me take baby steps out of the rubble and into this “new normal” and I’m finally feeling like joy is possible again.

So I just want to reiterate that we can never underestimate the ripple effect of our words, kindnesses and love that we pour into others. Perhaps there are times when we feel like our efforts aren’t making a difference, but they’re all like little seeds that we plant in other people’s hearts and souls…we don’t always get to see the changes that we make, but those seeds grow and no matter how long it might take, they DO - we DO - you DO - make an enormous difference. You did in mine. And I thank you with all my heart!!
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When you don't like a thing, change it.
If you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

(Maya Angelou)