IN CASE I HURT YOU

AS YOU KNOW I HAVE BEEN OFF THE BOARD & NOT ATTENDING OUR LCBBuddies MEETINGS BECAUSE MY FAMILY HAS NEEDED MY HELP MORE THAN USUAL BECAUSE MOMMA IS SICK. BEFORE THAT, I WASN'T UP TO PAR BECAUSE I'VE HAD SEVERE EXHAUSTION & AM GOING TO DOCTOR BYRNES NEXT MONDAY ABOUT THAT. WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO GO INTO DETAILS, I HAVE LOST A WLS FRIEND HERE ON THE BOARD BECAUSE SHE FEELS I HAVE SHUNNED HER BY NOT DOING SOMETHING SHE ASKED OF ME & BY NOT ANSWERING SOME OF HER E-MAILS. SHE FEELS I HAVE NOT BEEN NICE & THAT TRUST SHE PLACED IN ME TO HELP HER ... THAT I HAVE NOT FULFILLED THAT TRUST. WE HAVE TRIED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS HAVE BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD BETWEEN US & SHE HAS DECIDED NOT TO E-MAIL ME ANY MORE. ALTHOUGH I AM SADDENED THAT SHE CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING IN OUR FRIENDSHIP TO CELEBRATE ... & I'M DESTRESSED THAT SHE WILL NEITHER OVERLOOK NOR FORGIVE ME FOR MY FAILINGS, I TOO NOW FEEL IT IS FOR THE BEST THAT WE GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS. BECAUSE OF THIS, I WONDERED IF I HAD HURT OTHERS ON THE BOARD & IF SO, I SEND MY HONEST APOLOGIES AS I DO TO HER. I KNOW MY ATTENTION SPAN HAS BEEN MINIMAL LATELY ... FORGETTING TO DO THINGS I OFFERED OTHERS. MY INBOX IS FILLED TO OVERFLOWING WITH E-MAILS I STILL PLAN TO ANSWER ... LATE, BUT I STILL WILL TRY TO DO SO. AS SOON AS I CAN SHAKE FREE A FEW MOMENTS, I WILL DO MY BEST TO CATCH UP & BE ACTIVE HERE AGAIN. BUT, IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU FEEL ... AS SHE DOES ... THAT I'VE HURT YOU, PLEASE E-MAIL ME & I WILL APOLOGIZE PERSONALLY. I WON'T EXPLAIN MYSELF. I TRIED THAT WITH HER & IT JUST DEGRADED IN A "TIT FOR TAT" SITUATION THAT DID NOT HELP EITHER OF US. BUT, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE MY FAILURES & I WILL APOLOGIZE TO YOU WITH ALL SINCERITY ... AS I DO NOW PUBLICALLY TO HER. GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Dawn, I just want to thank you for all that you have brought to this board, you have gave so much of your time and energy already, not to mention your bright smiling face and so many words of encouragement. I am sorry to hear about your mom, your exhaustion and your troubles with your friend. I will keep you and your friend in thought and prayer and Hope for brighter days for you and your family. Many hugs, butter

THANK YOU MS BUTTER FLY ... I APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS ESPECIALLY DURING AS TRYING A TIME AS IT HAS BEEN LATELY. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT MOMMA IS ON THE MEND. SHE WAS A BIT WOBBLY, BUT SHE WENT TO CHURCH LAST WEDNESDAY EVENING & IS GOING AGAIN TONIGHT. WHEN SHE MISSES CHURCH, I KNOW SHE'S REALLY SICK & WHEN SHE GOES AGAIN, I CAN BREATH A SIGH OF RELIEF. NICK & I WERE FINALLY ABLE TO ATTEND THE LCBBuddies MEETING LAST NIGHT & IT FELT WONDERFUL TO BE BACK & SEE EVERYONE. WE'RE GETTING BACK INTO OUR ROUTINE ... WE'RE BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUT, I FEEL LIKE PART OF OUR LIFE IS BACK IN PLACE BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO VISIT WITH OUR LCBBuddies & HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND OUR CHURCH'S FUNCTIONS FOR THE LENTEN SEASON. &, THANKS TO CARING PEOPLE LIKE YOU, MS BUTTER FLY ... YES ... "BRIGHTER DAYS" ARE HERE AGAIN ... YOUR KINDNESS WAS A GREAT HELP TO NICK & I! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Dawn "THIS IS THE VOICE OF REASON" speaking... Friendships are built on the premise of give and take, love and understanding. Sometimes one of us is able to give more, sometimes less- life happens. I am sorry that your friend can't see past herself to know that you have been dealing with alot - perhaps a little more compassion on her part would help heal this great divide. You have been a MAJOR source of help, information, support, companionship,- a dutiful angel- NO ONE could ask for anything more from you. Given your recent roll of "stressful times" I'd say that you are well deserving of being a little slack for the sake of caring for yourself and your family. Please do not feel the need to apologize anymore. Life happens, "flexability" and "bendability" are good things to put in use every once in a while. Take care of yourself, your Mom and your family. We still love you !!! Your Angelette and strong supporter, Towana

THANK YOU, ANGEL GIRL ... YES MA'AM, I WILL REMEMBER YOUR "VOICE OF REASON" & I DO APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS & OPINIONS. I'M LOOKING AT THIS AS JUST A BUMP IN THE ROAD. NICK & I TALKED ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE CONTACT WITH HER FROM TIME TO TIME, SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TREATING HER LIKE I ALWAYS DID ... AS MY FRIEND. HOPEFULLY, THAT WILL HEAL ANY WOUNDS I CAUSED. LIKE I SAID TO MS BUTTER FLY, MOMMA IS ON THE MEND, THANK YOU LORD! WE'RE GETTING BACK IN OUR NORMAL BUSY ROUTINE (YOU SURE KNOW ABOUT THAT WITH ALL YOU HAVE ON YOUR BACK!), SO WE'RE THINKING THAT WE WILL BE BACK AT LCBBuddies ON A REGULAR BASIS WHILE THINGS ARE FLOWING BETTER. WE SURE HOPE YOU CAN DROP BY OFTEN! I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU HAD TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL SO QUICKLY LAST NIGHT OR I'D OF SPENT MORE TIME WITH YOU PERSONALLY. I WAS GONNA GREET EVERYONE & THEN SIT DOWN WITH YOU & CHAT. I TURNED AROUND & YOU WERE READY TO LEAVE. WE'LL HAVE TO FIND SOME TIME FOR A CUP OF COFFEE & SOME CHIT CHAT ... WHEN YOU FIND A COUPLE MINUTES, LET ME KNOW & NICK & I WILL JOIN YOU SOMEWHERE. IT WAS SOOOO GOOD TO SEE YOU LAST NIGHT. YOU ARE LOOKING FABULOUS. ON THE WAY, NICK SAID, "I BET SHE'LL BE WEARING THOSE STALETTO HEELS!" GEEZ, I FORGOT TO LOOK! WHEN IS YOUR GOAL FOR YOUR FANCY PARTY DRESS & HIGH HEELS? WAS THERE A DATE OR A WEIGHT? ... I THOUGHT YOU HAD A PARTY TO GO TO OR SOMETHING, & WANTED TO FIT IN THAT OUTFIT ... THANK YOU AGAIN MY DEAR ANGEL ... I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT & FRIENDSHIP ... GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK PS: GIVE TAEYLOR A BIG HUG FOR US ... WE HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN AGES!

Dawn... First let me just thank you for all that you do on this Board for so many of us ...I'm sure I can speak for many others when I say "YOU ARE AWESOME in sooooooooooooooooo many ways"!!! I personally think it's time for some of us to give back to you You are usually the first to respond to a question, or someone needing support...Always there to update us on the latest info...and willing to go out of your way to find the answeres we're looking for...you remember everyones surgery dates and leave such beautiful prayers of love and support on their surgery pages...yes I know, because Sweetie I've read them...mine included...to me, you're a guardian angel to many of us...and I for one deeply appreciate it I'm sorry that your friendship with your friend has been damaged, sometimes that ugly tries to divide and conquer...but remember friendship is about excepting and loving each other...good and bad...to me a real friendship is like a marriage...if it is a true one, it's worth keeping. Let me say right now to my sistahood, LOVE U GIRLZ !!! I hope that your friend will realize that you are human and you make mistakes too...For all fall short of His glory...and that forgiveness is not just for the other person, but it is for US...it keeps us from letting our anger(which is hurt) fester into something cancerous. Forgivness is a HUGE part of my life...I figure if Christ can forgive me, who am I not to extend the same gift...whether I'm ask too or not After all forgivness is a gift...and gifts are given freely right??? No strings attached. I hope time will heal this misunderstanding between you both. Hugs and bunches of love , Tonya

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS TONYA. I ENJOY SHARING WHAT I'VE LEARNED WITH EVERYONE. I ALSO ENJOY ALL I LEARN FROM Y'ALL AS WELL. THIS PROCESS IS WONDERFUL ... BUT, ALSO CONFUSING, FRUSTRATING & EVER CHALLENGING, SOOOO I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN DO IT WELL WITHOUT ONE ANOTHER! I WAS NEVER ONE WHO BELIEVED IN "SUPPORT GROUPS" (I COULD PRETTY WELL HANDLE ANYTHING MYSELF) BUT ... WHEN I HAD WLSurgery, I THOUGHT, "WHOA ... I NEED SOME HELP HERE". THIS IS BIGGER THAN I AM (NO PUN INTENDED) & I CAN'T GO IT ALONE. NICK HAS BEEN SUCH A BLESSING BUT EVEN HE CAN'T COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND SINCE HE'S NEVER BEEN OBESE & THEN GONE THROUGH SOMETHING AS DRASTIC AS WLS. SO, MY THANKS TO YOU & EACH PERSON ON THIS BOARD! YOUR WORDS OF FORGIVENESS HAD A PEACEFULNESS IN THEM ... YOU ARE RIGHT, TIME HAS A WAY OF HEALING MISUNDERSTANDINGS & THAT IS WHAT I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENCOURAGING WORDS ... THEY ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

I read a card the other day and it said " Friendship is no big deal...it is a million little things". Sorry to hear you are having a rough patch.Take care!

OH MS CHASTITY ... I LOVE THAT QUOTE ABOUT FRIENDSHIP & IT IS SO TRUE! THANK FOR SHARING IT WITH ME! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Ms Dawn, You have been nothing but a sweetheart to me. I am one of the most stressed people that I know....so I know how you can get pulled in a million different directions. And I know how you can't be everything for everybody. You personally have helped me so much in my journey with knowledge and prayers.....as I'm sure there are so many others on here that you have helped too. So don't beat yourself up over something that you were unable to do. You just hang in there!! You and your family comes first.....so you just take care of that before you worry about anything else. I'll keep you in my prayers!!! Hugs, Dianne