Published on 12, July, 2020
I joined here around 5 months ago.
Since that time it's come to mean different things to me.
I think sharing experiences is invaluable but equally invaluable is the honesty I find here.
It's a place where we can talk about shared experience /our emotions/difficulties in a way that's impossible in the 'real' world - or at least if we speak about it there, it's unlikely to be understood.
It's a place to connect in a world where we often find connecting difficult.
I've received some PMs recently that have made me focus more on how very important this community can be to us as individuals.
Luna RIP called this her 'forum family'.
As a person who doesn't seek friendship (?or thinks she doesn't?), some surprising and valuable friendships have evolved from here for me.
How about you?
It's been informative and interesting reading this thread. I apologise for my less than positive, and upbeat, contribution to it. I'm going through a ' despondent and disillusioned' phase at the moment. It's been nearly 6 weeks since my father died. For practical ,health ,reasons I couldn't make the trip to be with him for his last few weeks.He had a long and largely good life.
Please accept my condolences too.
The death of my father in 1998 left a big hole in my heart.
We are thinking of you
Thank you all. There's a heap of emotions swirling through my brain - admiration,love, hurt,sorrow,resentment.
No problem. It was quite a complex father-son relationship that we had.
For what it's worth, those emotions are all perfectly normal, and there is no right or wrong way to feel after a bereavement. Whilst it isn't always easy, the important thing is to allow those thoughts and feelings to happen as and when they occur.
Please accept my apologies if this sounds in any way patronising. I'm just speaking from my own experience.