My Second FAMILY

I have a second *Family*. It's the Duodenal Switch Forum at Obesity Help.com. I joined about 18 months ago. I remember so well lurking and yearning for the courage to introduce myself and become a part of their wonderful *family*. Life long feelings of insecurity and lack of self worth held me back. Why would they want to include me in their family? What could I possibly contribute? Would they just skip over my post and ignore me? Could I handle the rejection? Why in the world would they want a bipolar, anxiety ridden, agoraphobic as a member of their group?

Finally one day in June of 2005, I decided to take the giant step to say "Hello" and tell them a little bit about myself. Almost immediately I was receiving the warmest welcomes. My fingers actually trembled on the keys as I so carefully replied to Jeanie, Starr and Alison - my first DS friends. They embraced me and encouraged me to write in my profile.http://obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/profile.php?N=G1118255506

I did indeed start writing my profile and soon my fingers began to fly across the keyboard. I spilled and spilled. I shared my life. I talked about my family, my parents, my daughter and even my son who is serving 32 years in prison for a crime I turned him in for. I wrote about my nervous breakdowns following his imprisonment and I shared pictures of my flowers - my *passion*.

The responses from my new friends was overwhelming to say the least. I made more and more new friends, Darcy, Sharon, Kimmer and so many more. These people were opening their hearts to me. I remember so well the first time I took the giant leap and offered to do *Angel Duty* for Sharon. I really took this responsibility to heart and proudly posted of her progress following her DS surgery.

My confidence was slowly returning and I began to wake up every morning anxious to turn on the computer and get on the forum. These people actually liked me. I hate to sound like Sally Field here, but it's the truth. My loneliness was beginning to disappear and it was being replaced with *friends* - real, honest to goodness *friends*.

Over the months these *friends* became my extended *family*. I was richly blessed and my immediate family began to see a more positive *Maureen* emerging. It had been 2 years since my son had been imprisoned and my Angel Baby Jenny who was so afraid she had lost her mom in the darkest shadows of depression began commenting to me about how happy she was that I had begun to smile again and yes, even laugh. Every day Jenny would call and ask me, "So Mom, what's going on, on the boards today"?

The more I got from the boards, the more I wanted to give of myself. I wanted to shower each and every one of them with love, compassion and encouragement. When they cried, I cried. Sometimes it was tears of joy and other times tears of heartache. You see we were all travelling the same journey. We had all walked in the shoes of a morbidly obese person. Quite simply, we understood each other.

Fast forward to yesterday, September 22, 2006. Lady Di in Florida started a thread "Let Maureen Know You Care Day". I was flabbergasted, an immediate rush of heat flooded over me. One by one more and more people popped on the thread to post their feelings for me. Tears of love poured down my cheeks. How would I ever be able to tell my wonderful extended family that *they* are the ones that have given me *FAR MORE* than I will ever be able to give them in return.

I'm a stronger person today because of them. I'm driven by them to make our Forum a more loving community that we can all come to, to share all of lifes ups and downs. I *want* to be their *Mother Hen*. I have so much love inside me to share with them and I will *ALWAYS, ALWAYS,* be there for each and every one of them.

It's completely *effortless* to give of myself when you are loved so much in return. "It is in giving, that we receive".

God bless my DS Family, today and always.