I think it is a good idea as well. I understand all the feelings. I am involved in a Fellowship that has a huge turnover rate and many of the members, new and old, end up on the 2nd page of the paper. At first I seperated so it wouldn't hurt so bad then I realized one of the reasons I was still around was to be fully invovled with the new people coming in regardless of how it may hurt if they didn't make it. My real responsi-bility is to be available. I still have real difficulty doing that. I have lost family to this disease as well and I have gained family. Putting faces to those who help me here would make loosing them hurt more of course. But putting a face to those who help me here would also keep me human. I spent most of my time at the Relay for Life with tears in my eyes. It wasn't so much for those lost, or fighting this as it was all those children and families that had that void in their eyes of the loss of a loved one. Selfishly I didn't want others to ever have to see that in my wife and son's eyes.

I will go back next year and celebrate the lives still fighting and I will help those families remember and hold those passed on in a special place. That's family and that's what is important but too often missing today. We are family. I would enjoy the opportunity to shake the hands of those who help me, either by just sharing with me here or making it possible for us all to be here on this forum. One thing that we all definately have is courage and perseverance. If you put that much these in one place, in person, lives are changed. Loosing someone sometimes makes it scary that we are loosing those things. That is what the new people bring. New courage and perseverance. We fill the place of our predecessors, not take the place but fill the space. This keeps us connected. I think it would be a nice thing.

Hell Gary I would like to put a face to the man that reminds me of me. I share with others the way you do here. Straight and direct. I respect that. I shared all loving and gooey when I first got to the Fellowship but after loosing so many I just started shooting it straight. The results were better. When I got here, because I was new and scared, I shared all loving and gooey. Not so much now I guess. But the bottom line is because of the things we all go through I love each and everyone here. If you get a very straight answer from me it means I love you enough to tell you the truth. That sounds like you Gary. Atleast the best I can tell without seeing your face. Anyway thanks to all those who work so hard to keep OCF going, those who got it going, and those coming to fill in the spaces.