Hoping8

Hi @clg, congratulations on taking a strong step forward. You are very welcome here!

@NssAngel9, it means a lot to us too. It’s good to have a place to talk, and also have a place to support others.

Hi @NssAngel9, welcome! I was really nervous when I joined a couple of months ago, and I am really glad that I stuck with it—it IS good to process and feel my way through things with others who “get it”. I look forward to getting to know you better!

Hi @l3anne, and welcome! From a purely practical standpoint, maybe start with some of the Gathering Place posts, and maybe the blogs. The Fun and Games part is low stress too. Share My Story is powerful, and you’ll want to consider what kind of mood you’re in and whether/when is a good time to look in there. You’ll be struck right away by how kind and supportive people are here; I am glad you found this spot!

Hi, and welcome! I think you’ll find this a healing place to be, and I know you’ll get lots of support here. Take all the time you need, and for what it’s worth, I kind of thought you were “supposed to” share your story here, but after being here several weeks I’ve realized that it is just one of many ways you can interact with this community. So don’t think you have to be in any kind of hurry, ok? Take your time, get comfortable, look around—all on your own timetable. i look forward to getting to know you!

Hi, @Heart. I think you’ll be safe here. I was worried about that when I joined, but I has turned out to be about the safest place I’ve ever been. Welcome.

Hi @Striver. I am glad you found this site. I’ve been here a couple of months and it has been a lifeline for me; I hope it will be the same for you. I get why you’d be wondering, and I think you WILL fit in. The fact that you have to wonder makes me kind of sad, but then, I wondered too when I joined—wondered if I could trust people here, wondered if I’d be “found” here, wondered if I would fit in... i can tell you honestly that there are times that I don’t want to respond to male members. Just like there are times that I don’t want to respond to people with certain stories, o

Hi! I am so glad you called a hotline for help, and that they sent you here. You’ll find lots of support and company here, and just being among people who understand is very powerful for me.

Hello! You are very welcome here and I am glad you came! Look around and get acquainted with the site, and I think you’ll start to feel at home. You’ll definitely find people who support and understand you.

Welcome! You’ve come to a good place, and it is a pleasure to “meet” you.

Hi and welcome. It makes sense that you’re nervous, and you can take all the time you need to look around, get to know the site, and decide how much or how little you would like to share. You are welcome here!

Good to “meet” you, and good job paying attention to your own timing and needs!

No hurry at all. We’ll be around when you’re ready. Welcome.

Her consent, her timing, her control are what matter. Maybe talking to a professional about your own needs and feelings would help you to put them in perspective? You are going to need support too, and it concerns me that you talk about “blackmailing” her with your own health in an attempt to get her to do what you want/need her to do. Likewise the idea of performing a “procedure” that she is not asking for. She gets to choose.

Congrats on a new blog post—you are reaching a ton of people this way.

Aww, regrets and congrats. It is always hard to end a connection and I am excited for you that it went in a way that you feel good about.

Hi @Adarasanderson. I’ll gladly be on your side! I’m kind of new here too, and it is just like @leosun says: Look around, say what helps you, take your time, and welcome.

Hi @brokensoldier I’m glad you’re reaching out to help yourself—it’s a courageous move.

There are these lovely blinds in Germany called “rolladen”—they’re metal blinds built in to the windows that can be lowered to just a series of holes to allow some slight light in, or closed completely for sheer and utter darkness, even on the brightest day. Once when I lived there the phone rang in the other room, and I never found my way to the door to answer it! Glorious.

I’m proud of you! You’ll be a great advocate, and if the currents change along the way, you are resilient and flexible and you will adjust accordingly. Your voice and experience are invaluable.

Aww @leosun I am so sorry you’re feeling so worried. Even if you do miss the alarms and oversleep and miss the bus, YOU will still be valuable and capable and important. I hope you’ve found a way to settle your nerves and rest.

It works weirdly well—who better to believe in me than me!!?? Thank you for being in touch and telling your story—like I said at first, I am new here too, and your courage and honesty help me with my own doubts and worries.

I’ve heard a lot of the music you mention, and I’ll look up some of the ones I don’t know. You’re classes sound great; I love to dance, and love watching people dance. I’m especially charmed when I see an elderly couple who move almost like one person in the old fashioned partner dances. Sigh... What if... when you start feeling happy dancing, what if THAT is the truth? Are you sure it isn’t the mirror that is wrong? And also what if... instead of thinking of it as forcing yourself and faking it, what if you are PRACTICING being happy? Training, and rehearsing, and trying out a

What songs??? I’ll listen to them with you! “ )