How heartwarming, BirdDancer! It is quite a tribute to have your entry published like this.

Yes, loss can be very difficult to deal with, for sure. I am truly sorry for the many losses you have endured.
I, like you, am forever grateful for the time I have had with my Service Animal, my very dear friend.

It sounds like the NAMI conference was interesting. You are very bright and you research topics quite deeply. These attributes might make workshops/presentations less interesting, not so informative, to you. Understandably so. I often run into the same/similar issues.
I try to not feel too disappointed in these instances; however, sometimes, i do wish it was different.

I appreciate you sharing your article with us!
I appreciate you!