Hi Wordcharmer,
I too have been reading this thread from the beginning (I try to read every thread throughout the day) and was touched by your remark about not getting responses. I'm one of those people here who reads just about every posting, and care more deeply than you could ever imagine about every person here; and I take much of what gets said here and learn from it; I incorporate other people's experiences and wisdom into my own evolvement, and I take every request to prayer, and carry many of my sisters here in my heart throughout my daily activities (always hoping that the spirit deep inside of me is praying without ceasing even though I'm busy with mundane household tasks).

Your posts do matter, as do all postings and all posters here at BWS. I often wish I had something meaningful enough to say in response, but can't always fish it out of the brainfog that seems to be a constant companion of mine these days. Chronic fatigue renders me emotionally depleted, and some days I just can't find anything worthwhile in me to share.

But I'm still listening, still caring, still praying. And the one thing I've learned since coming here is that this is one enormous treasure trove of caring women. The healing spirit here is much like the "ebb and flow" of the ocean. Some days it's my turn to "flow" with wisdom and insight and eloquence. Some days it's my turn (as dictated by my fatigue and brainfog) to "ebb" and let others carry the flow. It's a wondrously healing tide of caring here, and I think that we can safely trust that when there's a lull in the conversation, it's not out of disinterest, but because people are thinking, praying, pondering how to respond, and often feeling inadequate or unable to respond with something profound enough to meet the poster's needs. I think we often hold back, hoping someone else with more expertise and wisdom on that area of woundedness might respond and then we can join in with our little tidbits of additional thoughts.

Maybe we should just respond with "I'm listening and I care", but I've learned in the past few months here that we can trust that the silence is FULL of listening and caring. And you can be sure that I'm one of those who is listening and caring and praying from within that silence...