For mrs. madness: You are a surprising person..amidst that wistful sadness, there's fire in you other times. Last week that post of yours about health care, living near Mexico border...and so on...you have amazing spirit in yourself. Please don't forget and harness that fire of yours. And you might have to do something outside of your hubby.

Emjay: Go for those things you've been longing to do. And let hubby figure himself out.

General comment: Well, if I knew in advance what would happen in life, I would have AVOIDED certain experiences,..that in the end, made me a better person. Not always every experience made me happier, but yes wiser.

At this time in life, I know I still have some things to resolve and now that I'm living thousands of kms. away from family, it is four times more difficult to resolve things/make things better at a distance.

However am comforted that I have done things in the past which clearly showed I had my best intentions at heart for various people and I know it is acknowledged...because now they have mentioned certain concepts, ideas that I have ...fought for in the broader community.

Remember this: you are, yes, one pebble among many pebbles, dropped in a pool of water, with unknown circles of influence.

I often feel my own family has very little idea what I have accomplished in other spheres of my life... yet those accomplishments are due...to very powerful influences of parents..whom we sometimes still disagree with/have misunderstandings.