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wisewoman said:
Maybe we should all keep being as loving and supportive as we know how. That is not in begging people to stay but in accepting that if they need to be gone for a bit, or forever, we support that. No judgement, just friendship.

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Wisewoman, you could not have said it better or more loving. You understand what a support forum is all about. Unfortunately, in situations like this, members (no one in particular, of course) make up their own rules and to try to project them upon other posters.

I left here due to pain. I couldn't be on the computer for very long without having to go to bed and sleep the pain off. I explained that in my post. I'm not the type to leave and not let people know why I'm gone. My friends here fully understood and responded with kindness.

The ignore button works very well for me.

I've had some painfree days lately and have taken the opportunity to post. I'll start no threads, but if I feel like coming back and posting, I will.

I have many dear friends here and I will support them when I am physically able to do so.

As for being "triggered", the only leaving posts that ever affected me were the ones that were, "I'm leaving".....and within a few hours, we read, "I'm back". Are those posters seeking attention or testing the waters about being accepted? Probably, and I understand that.

Those posts upset me for awhile and then I started using the ignore feature. Problem solved!

My suggestion to the posters who are upset by a "leaving post", don't read them. That is the most rational way to deal with the problem. Then no one will be triggered and the person who is leaving can say goodbye to their friends without being feeling like they're breaking a rule here.

Posters here are good people and don't deserve the negativity that can happen when they feel that staying here isn't in their best interest. Aren't we all here to show others that we take their needs to heart?

As for rules, I've never seen John say that a poster can't say goodbye, be it for an hour or a year or for eternity.