This has been on my mind on and off all day...
Do we really understand that the support and encouragement we receive here, peer to peer, is a valuable component to our healing/stability/hope? It's safe and anonymous, we make friends with those we feel comfortable with, yet we don't withhold support from anyone whenever it is needed--friend, newbie, old timer, young...for the most part we don't know race, culture, age, income level, etc. because it's not important. Hearts hurt, all of us get weary, experience fear and frustration...and that binds us together.
There is strength in numbers, I believe.

My own experience is an adjunct to my real life support system. IRL is wonderful, but I have also found that PC has been very beneficial as I travel my path of healing.
When I need support, there are a variety of replies with different suggestions, from those suggestions I can choose what has touched me. That touch may have been done with kindness, some have hurt me, others didn't make sense..but, and this is a biggie to me--there was an effort to help me, it meant that I was heard.
Don't we all need to be heard? Sometimes a reply with but two or three words or a hug can make the difference in another human being feeling worthy, deserving of attention.
Heard and Validated.
Yes, we all need to draw on some inner energy, but it makes the heartache and confusion ease when we know we reached out and that helping hand was there.

There are times when I am reading someone's post, and realize they are expressing many of my feelings.
Perhaps those who are more comfortable with lurking connect with the posts and replies, and it helps them.

It's not perfect by any means. There are sometimes harsh words, cliques, etc. but for the most part--it's good, very good.
For those with little or no support in real life, coming here and being welcomed must mean a lot.

Rambled enough for this night.
So many people just don't know how much the Internet can positively impact our lives...

In Peace