TheBanyanTree: Here Am I

[Sharon Mack]

 Janice wrote:

"Back then I had yet to feel the crush of the wringer through which I
would be dragged backwards, though I was beginning to sense its pull. 
And now, from the other side of
that experience, after all the subsequent remodeling of my mangled
dreams
and expectations ......."

....and I am now in the crush of the wringer.....and there is a fierce
remodeling of my dreams....and my sons.....and thankfully I am here in
the Tree among its comforting and covering branches.

Reading all of your memories about the Spoon and the past have been a
sustaining factor for the past week.  The messages were a positive
distraction for what I am facing now...the possible death of my son at
any given moment.

I am a baby to the Tree.  I came probably less than a year ago through
another newcomer, Bonnie B, who I believe came through Roberta F (or
maybe the other way around).  It was at a time when I wanted to jump
start my writing after having it lay flat, dead and dying for 10 years.

The Banyan Tree did just that.  It got me going.  The people here are
so WONDERFUL!!!  They made me feel right at home no matter what I wrote.
 They were kind in their occasional critiques and generous in their
compliments.  They stuck up for me BIG TIME when our friend John Nielson
sandbagged me for a Christian thought I had written in a posting about a
personal piece about my life.  Whoa!  was that a great feeling....the
vindication swept over me as a fresh cooling breeze and that's when I
realized I was in the right place.  A place where all thought is
respected and you can speak your mind whether or not it is agreed upon
by all.  You are free to express an opinion and respect remains the
bottom line.

I am praying that I can make that weekend this year.  I want to see the
faces and meet in person each one of you and give the hugs you all so
very much deserve.

You're the BEST and I am proud to be counted among you! Thank you for
being who you are, each and ever one of you!

Sharon

P.S.  The outpouring of kind and loving thoughts and prayers via email
from the Tree were so beautiful and overwhelmingly kind.  I currently
have 12 pages of emails I copied into a document so that my son can read
each and every one of them and know that this family of strangers is
right there for both of us.

This is written with much affection, tears and thanks!

Again, Sharon