TarHeelMom
Cathlete
Hi everyone -- I've been so busy the last few days that an occasional quick lurk has been all I could do to indulge my Cathe Forums habit. But this afternoon I've had time to catch up and read, among many others, the "Peanuts" thread, Carol's "Just want to try to explain" thread, and A-jock's amazing "In which Aquajock quits smoking" thread.
Can I just react for a minute and tell you folks that I'm sitting here nearly in tears -- good tears? Those three threads, to me, sum up the essence of Cathe dot com. I've been a regular here for a very long time (1996, holy cow), and I believe that the reason this "place" has hooked me so firmly is the amazingly humane, intelligent, caring, forgiving, supporting quality of the exchanges we have here.
Of course we have our flame wars and our differences of opinion now and then, we've endured trolls and we've endured the occasional presence of a "new regular" who's not kind or tactful, or who interjects him/herself into everything with an unwanted two cents' worth. But those interruptions of "the flow" never last long here. Flames are put out, soothing words are said and friendships are reaffirmed. And in my experience the people who come here exhibiting persistent selfishness or unkindness aren't here long. We don't tolerate them and, maybe even more important, we don't let them ruin what we have. So, like all bullies who don't win, they get bored and move on to wreak some havoc elsewhere. And we go back to doing here what we do best, which is cheering on the everyday victories and consoling the everyday challenges of "friends" we've mostly never laid eyes on.
Amazing.
So for the umpteenth time, I want to simply thank you all for enriching my life in big and small ways, just about every day, through your words here. I'm not a hermit who sits slavishly at the keyboard devoid of other relationships -- I think I'm a very typical busy (frantically), happy, outgoing, mid-life wife-mother-sometime-working-woman-daughter-sister-friend. But I count "you guys" among my friends in the purest sense of that word. It's honestly almost impossible to express the impact that this faceless community has had upon me, and therefore upon my husband, my children, my marriage, my friendships, my outlook on so many things.
What we are all about here, of course, reflects Cathe -- I loved the remark (Bobbi, I think you said it) that the quality of the fruit always shows you the quality of the tree (sorry for the clumsy paraphrase!). I am a wordsmith by training and habit and hobby, and yet I just can't find enough words to express how remarkable a human being I think she is. Some little tree, that one! ;-)
We are over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house tomorrow morning, so I will sign off for the day with a huge HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you, Americans and non-Yanks alike! I am truly thankful for y'all (had to sling in a little "Southern" at ya!), and for Cathe.
(((((((((((((((THE FORUMS' EDUCATED CROWD!!!!!)))))))))))))))
http://e4u.deltait.com.au/sport/sport23.gif Kathy S.
Can I just react for a minute and tell you folks that I'm sitting here nearly in tears -- good tears? Those three threads, to me, sum up the essence of Cathe dot com. I've been a regular here for a very long time (1996, holy cow), and I believe that the reason this "place" has hooked me so firmly is the amazingly humane, intelligent, caring, forgiving, supporting quality of the exchanges we have here.
Of course we have our flame wars and our differences of opinion now and then, we've endured trolls and we've endured the occasional presence of a "new regular" who's not kind or tactful, or who interjects him/herself into everything with an unwanted two cents' worth. But those interruptions of "the flow" never last long here. Flames are put out, soothing words are said and friendships are reaffirmed. And in my experience the people who come here exhibiting persistent selfishness or unkindness aren't here long. We don't tolerate them and, maybe even more important, we don't let them ruin what we have. So, like all bullies who don't win, they get bored and move on to wreak some havoc elsewhere. And we go back to doing here what we do best, which is cheering on the everyday victories and consoling the everyday challenges of "friends" we've mostly never laid eyes on.
Amazing.
So for the umpteenth time, I want to simply thank you all for enriching my life in big and small ways, just about every day, through your words here. I'm not a hermit who sits slavishly at the keyboard devoid of other relationships -- I think I'm a very typical busy (frantically), happy, outgoing, mid-life wife-mother-sometime-working-woman-daughter-sister-friend. But I count "you guys" among my friends in the purest sense of that word. It's honestly almost impossible to express the impact that this faceless community has had upon me, and therefore upon my husband, my children, my marriage, my friendships, my outlook on so many things.
What we are all about here, of course, reflects Cathe -- I loved the remark (Bobbi, I think you said it) that the quality of the fruit always shows you the quality of the tree (sorry for the clumsy paraphrase!). I am a wordsmith by training and habit and hobby, and yet I just can't find enough words to express how remarkable a human being I think she is. Some little tree, that one! ;-)
We are over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house tomorrow morning, so I will sign off for the day with a huge HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you, Americans and non-Yanks alike! I am truly thankful for y'all (had to sling in a little "Southern" at ya!), and for Cathe.
(((((((((((((((THE FORUMS' EDUCATED CROWD!!!!!)))))))))))))))
http://e4u.deltait.com.au/sport/sport23.gif Kathy S.
