Hi Joey,
Things have been a little quiet around here lately so knowing you are planning on stopping in more frequently is welcomed news. And I am smiling from ear to ear at your avi photo!!! That has to be you and Bri

... another snapshot to add to all our hearts. I know...I am a little bit of a sap this morning... but I generally go with the flow of my thoughts and this morning I am very sentimental thinking about the 8 plus years I have been here and all the wonderful friends who have passed through these internet doors. We are not the most exciting of places to click into but you would be hard pressed to find a group that is more compassionate and caring... Yet with that thought, immediately I remind myself of recent mistakes of judgements and try not to berate myself again as we are all learning (hopefully) from the lessons of the past. And sometimes we can derive lessons from those that others have learned from their hard life experiences. I would say you have experienced much in your short life and have earned the hard way much wisdom...something in time you will pass on to us even if it is so subtle like the wind. LOL Yep, I am in a strange mood today...sort of philosophical as I think back to some of the things we were just discussing and your last post. Would you mind if I remembered my friend Johnny for a moment. He was the friend who died tragically on a motorcycle and because of that, to this day, I cannot see one of those contraptions without a tiny sense of loss.
My family met Johnny when he began dating my sister in High school. He was so full of good humour and the joy of life...I never heard him ever say an ugly word about anyone... rather just the opposite... as he had a way of building your self esteem just by being around him. Johnny loved people...all kinds of people, young and old alike and he loved music... ballad kinds of music that he played on his guitar whenever he had the chance. He loved God and showed it through his actions rather then beating us up the side of the head with Bible quotes. He changed my life... and set me on a path that led me to this place in life and I will always be eternally grateful to him for that.
Well, nearly ten years passed and he moved on with his life as we all do. He got married and had a little girl but still never lost his boyish exuberance. On the day he died he had just picked up a brand new motorcycle from the dealer and tragically, it was on the way home that he had an accident and broke his neck. There were no other vehicles involved. But there is some confusion as to why the throttle was stuck wide open with engine still racing when help got to him. He was wearing a helmet too... but sometimes that is not enough.
I do feel a sense of peace now when I think of him. It has taken awhile, but if there was anything that I picked up from this great friend..it was that life does continue despite the hard stuff. And it is in the continuation that the true power lies as we always can have a fresh slate when we wake up each morning. Making our goals and dreams a reality... gosh, that takes some doing, I think, and in my case sometimes I just feel like throwing my hands in the air and giving up...but it is strange because it is then that I feel something a little intangible...a sweetness that helps me to let go of the helplessness. And it is that teeny tiny speck of, without a better word...hope, that has helped me again and again dispel the darkness and so I am grateful to all those I love who have passed before me. Love, whether it is from a beloved partner standing by our side (like your beautiful Bri), or that felt from friends and family whose support arrives from the next realm...has the power to lift and sustain us, throughout some of the direst circumstances..
Which is one reason I so enjoy hearing you speak about your precious girl...and now we can see her too... thank you for that Joey.
I am sorry. I have gone off on a tangent again...

so I think I should also thank you for putting up with one of my long posts.
Give the fear of riding in cars a little time, okay? It may be rough for a bit but it often does get easier. If it becomes too much of a challenge please consider talking to someone who can help you organize your feelings about the accident. You went through a terrifying experience and you and your friends could have died. It would be odd if it didn't have a strong effect on you.
Okay enough out of me.
XX Sandy