Sequel to the Bittersweet Blessing Blog
Thank you all for your many responses to yesterday's blog. A lot of you also expressed similar feelings of loss. Often we have no warning -- folks just disappear.
This community is so large that we are limited as to how many members we actually meet and interact with. Some may help us with an answer to a question, or perhaps they respond to something we wrote. Some of these people are just passing acquaintances that we meet because we seek answers to similar problems.
However, at times we find someone with whom we seem to have an instant connection. For weeks, we meet at WA each day, and often exchange messages. No, there's not time to become good friends with all the thousands of people in our community, but we find a few that become important to us.
It interests me that we can make such close connections with someone we never see, but just meet online. Even from great distances we somehow sense something about the other that draws us to them. These are the friends we'd like to keep.
It took me a while to realize how to do so. Now, when I become close to someone in WA, I get their email address and their web address. In this way, if they disappear from the community, I can still connect with them.
I'm fortunate to have collected an email address from someone who made a very decided impact on our community. Nearly every day he wrote a positive, upbeat, encouraging post that many people watched for to give them their daily uplift.
His name is Joe White. He's a retired minister from Georgia. For years, he has organized tours to interesting and exotic places for members of a large organization of churches. You may remember him as Joes946. People who know we are friends have asked me about him.
I emailed Joe and asked him if he might put a little message on here so folks would know what happened to him and why he is no longer with us. Here is the message he sent for all of you:
"I didn’t renew my membership in WA because I’m 83 years old and my travel business was coming back to life. I had pastors who have worked with me for 50 years who trusted me to give them straight answers. I have many dear friends at WA and I miss them. WA is a wonderful platform and I encourage everyone to get involved and keep busy. To all my friends, I wish you the best. Stay safe and healthy.
Joe White"
Another interesting thing you will notice: As you collect email addresses, also jot down where these folks are from. Soon, you will have a small book that resembles some sort of international fellowship.
Looking through my book, I find addresses from people in many states (Even one from New York City. To an Alaskan, that might as well be another country.) Besides the U.S., there's Canada, Australia, Romania, New Zealand, Spain, somewhere in Africa (unfortunately, did not get that address.)
Wish I'd thought to ask everyone where they were from -- I am missing a few because I haven't always listed location. I must remember to do so from now on.
When you look at the many places where your new acquaintances reside, you may get a better idea of how all-encompassing this organization has become. Through the internet, our horizons expand far, far beyond our own doorway.
In a sense we have become world travelers -- isn't that an exciting thought? We send out a message to someone in another country and a bit of our energy travels from us to the message recipient. What an exciting way to stretch our boundaries!
Just another winning feature of our online adventure....
Recent Comments
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Glad to hear that all is well with Joe. He is missed around here like all the others who have been quite active then move on for whatever reason or season.
Maybe we'll see some of those people return again. I've seen people come back when their lives calm down a bit because they appreciate what WA has to offer and the support of this community.
I need to check out Debbi's list and see who's on it that I know.
Have a great day! Thanks for the post! :)
Colleen
You are welcome, Colleen. Yes, we've lost many good folks, but there are lots more on here. Nice to get to know some of them.
We are all global entrepreneurs here and in the main, good genuine people who want to help each other as much as they can.
If you can help someone on life's journey, it's a good thing to do and that is what many do here.
Whether it's answering questions, giving advice, commiserating at low points or celebrating the high points, it all helps.
I agree Fran, it is making the special connections with others that uplifts us
It's great to hear about Joe. I remember Joe from long ago!
It's good to know he is well and please remember me to him. He has been, and still is, missed in WA.
I hadn't responded to your previous post, Fran but I read it late last night with the intention of responding today. I only ever had one connection with a WA member who has moved on! Goodness, I'm in my seventh year at WA and although not as active as I used to be, the thought of not being a member is something I put aside!
I checked Debbi's list and I didn't make it on that! Time for me to reactive myself.
Best wishes to you Fran :)
Glad to see you, Valerie. Joe responded this morning and said he is very happy to be remembered by so many.
*** ah yes, bittersweet blessings, indeed! ... life is the great adventure .... and perhaps we all simply need to enjoy, to appreciate, and to keep moving about the globe in our travels to drink in everything good! ... 🍷 🍷 ... bottom's UP! ... lol ...
happy trails ... cheerio ... :)) ***
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Fran, So glad you touched base with Joe. Of all the people who have come and gone, I think I have missed him the most. I looked for his daily message and always answered it. He always gave you something with a twist to think about and I liked the challenge of answering in like manner. There has been a big turn over here. We are so busy with our own endeavors, it is hard to make connections. Maybe that is better, but somehow I like to know people and share thoughts.
Anyway , you have done a good job, reminding us of what we mean to each other.
Thank you--I think Joe means a lot to many of us. He was a special friend to me because we are contemporaries -- he's actually a few months older. Nice to meet a few other "old-timers."