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Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why, when I am in special need of help, the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim.
~ William Feather
I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.
~ William Shakespeare
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Thank you.
I feel like I say that a lot around here, but I’m saying it again.
Thank you.
You held me up yesterday. In the middle of the overwhelm – taking a day I could ill afford to take (both figuratively and literally) out of life to head down to DC, you held me up.
Your reaction to yesterday’s post surprised me. A lot. Once I publish the second part, you might see why. Or perhaps not. Either way, I certainly didn’t intend for it to be a plea for help. I actually had to go back and re-read it to see why the responses were what they were. And when I did, I saw what you saw. And I understood.
It IS too much.
So I’m making some changes. Small ones for now, but I’m confident that this is a crowd that can appreciate the baby steps of incremental progress.
Step one – After responding to eleven of the twelve new messages that were waiting for me on Diary’s Facebook page this morning, I shut down the message function. Until yesterday, I didn’t think that I could. Thank you, Stimey.
Step two – I am going to accept your help.
In the next week or so, I’m going to set up a page patterned after my all time favorite place on this blog, the Community Brag Page. The new page will be a place where you all can help each other. And the questions and answers will remain there in perpetuity so that we can all go back and read through the collected wisdom of the community whenever we may need it.
Most importantly, I will write a disclaimer explaining that the page will not be moderated, so that it can run independently. It will be a place where all of you who have questions can go to ask them, and all of you who so generously offered to help can.
Step three – I’m going to wait until tomorrow to write the second half of yesterday’s post. I’ve got some catching up to do after the lost day and for now at least, I’m going to let that come first.
And now I’m going to end where I started, as I so often seem to do here.
Thank you.
Thank you for reaching out.
Thank you for offering the brilliant ideas above (none of which, to be clear, was mine.)
Thank you for asking how you could help.
Thank you for supporting me.
Above all, thank you for supporting each other.
You know, I wasn’t sure what to call the new page, but I think it just hit me.
The Community Support Page.
Yep, that’s it.
Coming soon.
Thank you.
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An excellent start, Jess! Mama is proud of you.
Love you,
Mom
You are freakin’ awesome.
Brilliant!
What a great idea, and what a great resource!
Yes, this would work perfect!
Love this. Love you.
You ROCK!!!
Yay, you! 🙂
Perfect! We are here for each other, and we’re here for you Jess xoxo
Love this!
Thank you Jess…for being brave enough to ask for help…for being brave enough to put yourself out there every day in hopes of reaching just one person…for encouraging us to reach out to others (and each other)…for everything.
I can’t wait for the community support page!!!
God Bless.
Kate
I think the community support page will be wonderful! Also, for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing by turning off the msg function and accepting help yourself.
Good, Good, Good!
Thank YOU Jess. Glad you put your own oxygen mask on for this one!
Brilliant idea!
I love this idea too! Good for you for letting some of it go. You can’t take on the world by yourself! We can all do it together!:)
Brilliant. Great idea, great compromise, great way to take care of yourself AND your community. Enjoy your rest.
Great solutions.
A very good start indeed.
Proud of you!!!! Just so darn proud!!!!!
Hooray! And yes, we do know how to celebrate small steps in the community… and this is a huge small step.