Agree...all of the above.

In, 1999 I found BrainTalk and through the board met in person my first PWP, Paula. Shortly after that I met the Yahoo Dumpster Gang. And, life as a PWP grew from there. (I am also my own carepartner. Like being a single parent is both mother and father so many times.)

I could ask, "Where would I be today if I had not found BrainTalk?" Doesn't matter now, I did and what I found in the early years was what has already been spoken of above.

About two years ago...don't remember for sure...two members of this board, who have been friends of mine for many years, were preparing to have neck fusion surgery. When I send a greeting card to someone I can spend a hour searching the local Hallmark shop racks for the RIGHT card. Here is the card I sent to them. Yep, I typed it up and save it...that message was to strong to me...and to me it is also a message about this board.

The "wind" of course is PD.

THE OAK TREE

A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the oak tree's leaves away,
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark.
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
"How can you still be standing, Oak?"

The oak tree said, "I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two,
Carry every leaf away,
Shake my limbs, and make me sway,
But I have roots stretched in the earth,
Growing stronger since my birth.

"You'll never touch them, for you see,
They are the deepest part of me.
Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure,
but now I've found, with thanks to you,
I'm stronger than I ever knew.'

The balance of the card says: I know you can get through this. You're strong and are surrounded by people who care.