David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! discussion

I've been thinking about this a lot lately (and my lately, I mean about the last 5 years).

I see more and more negativity in the world lately, and it really bugs me if I'm honest. I really notice it a lot in social media. People just seem to love to rain on someone's parade. Of course, I do see positive messages and words, too, and I really try to pay attention to those.

When Darryl and I were first married (almost 19 years ago), I was a huge Oprah fan. I watched Oprah almost every day, and I have to say, I have learned a lot from her show. I learned how to shop more effeciently, how to make a perfect omelette, and also, how to be GRATEFUL.

One of the exercises she suggested as a couple was to have a grateful journal. Every day, each person would write down at least 3 things they were grateful for that day, concerning their partner. It could be something simple, like your partner did the dishes. Whatever you were grateful for.

Darryl and I did a grateful journal every day for about 2 years. Then we had the twins, and got way too busy to write in a journal every day! BUT, because of that habit we had everyday, we STILL thought those things and always made sure to tell the other how much we appreciated them. We also usually had way more than 3 things to say every day, too. I learned that when you look for the positive, that's what you see, way more than the negative.

I read this awesome article today that really gives practical advice in how to take control of your thoughts and your life, and I thought I'd share!

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/10-tips-to...

And the writer does suggest a grateful journal :)

My mom is really optimistic so is most of her side of the family.
And I think thats a trait of hers I have, that I always think " it could be worse" or " there is still time" or saying " isent this nice".
I suppose I see the positives in life, as well as being happy for all the things. Like I can still be happy as a 5 year old if someone buys me ice cream, or if I find out a fave movie is on tv, I get really happy.
Though, yes sometimes the world can be dark and sad, but then I just think of goodreads goodness and it becomes a bit better.

I've noticed the same thing, Jenny. Personally, I try to keep my posts positive (unless something serious like someone dying happens). Even if the most positive thing I can post about is that I just had a lovely cup of tea. I'm not saying I never whine and complain, but I try to focus on the positive as much as possible, and would rather ignore a post than leave a negative comment (especially if it's a post where the person is complaining for the sake of doing so, if you know what I mean).

I like the idea of the journal thing. Hubby and I have never done that. But we do make a point of telling one another we're grateful for anything the other does.

Also, Oda, I'm the same... I get as excited as a five year old over little things too. I'm still excitedly telling everyone who'll listen about the fact someone gave us a table, for example (it was given to us last week).

It's a shame there is so much negativity around. And sometimes it feels like people take offense so easily about things and think the worst.
I also try to stay positive usually. And I think that sometimes not saying anything at all is better than saying something negative.

I try and say thanks you or let others know I appreciate what they did if they do something I appreciate it. Being happy with the small things and showing that can be very valuable in my opinion. I know bad things happen and it's not always a happy world we live here, but I prefer to focus on the good things so the bad things don't get me down too much.

I really like the idea of a grateful journal and I think it's awesome you and your husband did that for two years and I can imagine that even doing that for a short while can already change your mindset and focus more on the positive in general.
I read the post you linked to and I especially liked the point about realizing that not everyone is perfect. Thanks for this post and the link to that article Jenny and it's a good reminder to focus on what makes us grateful instead of on the negativity!

You're welcome Lola :) I agree completely--if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all!

Victoria, I try to keep things positive as much as I can, too. Of course, we all need to vent sometimes (its not healthy to hold in sadness or anger), but its good to be careful how and who you vent out the negativity to. Generally, doing anything like that on social media is a bad idea. Although we are all guilty of it sometimes I think! I try to be more conscience about what I post, but sometimes I just have to complain LOL! Usually its not about a specific person, though. And I try not to post negatively on someone else's post.

Oda wrote: "My mom is really optimistic so is most of her side of the family.
And I think thats a trait of hers I have, that I always think " it could be worse" or " there is still time" or saying " isent thi..."

LOL Love this!

Jenny wrote: "You're welcome Lola :) I agree completely--if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all!

Victoria, I try to keep things positive as much as I can, too. Of course, we all need to..."

Exactly!

My coworker and I start each day emailing each other something we love. So even if I have a Case of the Mondays I have to at least be positive for a few seconds and sometimes it can turn my whole morning around.

That's a great idea Heidi! I annoy my coworkers because I'm always so chipper and happy in the morning and I always say good morning!

There are people in my life that are very negative. It saddens me, but I've come to realize there's nothing I can do for them, so I focus on me and the folks around me that are either a)positive influence or b)I can influence positively.

I try to be positive, and it's usually pretty easy, but I've struggled with depression so it's not a guarantee from day to day. On days that I feel absolutely horrible, I simply allow it. I don't wallow in it, but I just kind of embrace it, as I do positive days. I'll moan about it, vent to a friend, then move on. For me, embracing those horrible times(that are rarer and rarer it seems) makes embracing the positive times much easier and makes me all the more grateful for them.

Aaaand I think I just shared more with the group than I've shared with any family member in the past year or so haha.

Tommy wrote: "There are people in my life that are very negative. It saddens me, but I've come to realize there's nothing I can do for them, so I focus on me and the folks around me that are either a)positive in..."

Hehe. I suppose its easier in a way to share with us because we arent in youre non internett life, at least I feel sometimes its easier to talk to people that you care about but are far away.

Tommy wrote: "There are people in my life that are very negative. It saddens me, but I've come to realize there's nothing I can do for them, so I focus on me and the folks around me that are either a)positive in..."

LOL! Thanks for sharing Tommy! I know EXACTLY what you mean from the depression standpoint :) That's something else altogether, its not something you can just "snap out of."

Heidi: That's a great idea, and I'm glad it often helps you to get your day off to a more positive start.

Tommy: Thanks for feeling you could share with us. I know what you mean about the depression thing. I have the same problem. I try not to let it show in my posts when I'm having a bad day with it, and on the worst days just curl up with a book and my favourite snacks, and pretend the world doesn't exist. Either that, or write some stuff that always gets trashed immediately afterwards. Actually, quite often I do both things. It doesn't make it all better, but it helps some.

Oda: I think you're right... Sometimes it's easier to talk to people who are far away. Also, I can't speak for others, but in my case I do better if I can write rather than having to actually speak.

Some things happened to me in 2008 and I went from a person that loves to hike with her dog almost every day, unless I was working ten hours, to this other me.

I have panic disorder, agoraphobia, clinical depression, OCD, suicidal tendencies, and some regular medical issues. I also have NO self esteem and even hide from goodreads from time to time because I feel no good or I'm having a fight with my suicide junk.

On the internet you can hide behind a mask. No one knows what you go through. (I think I might write a poem or story on my blog about that!).

I feel like sharing here because sometimes it's good to see your not alone.

A few things I am grateful for:
1. My dog that keeps the suicidal fight on its toes. Can't leave her.
2. My parents that have no problem with me living with them. Even though I feel like a failure.
3. A best friend I watch shows on the phone with every day.
4. A friend that understands me & we send meaningful msgs to each other.
5. And goodreads where I can love books with some wonderful people.

Wow! This all be more than anyone wanted to know! Sorry if it was too much 0_0

I can relate to you Melissa. It can be a struggle to be positive everyday. I deal with Chronic Illness which has changed my life immensely. There are days where I remain very quiet online and in real life, because my negativity would bring everyone else down. I struggle to stay positive and I do try to make it a habit to list five positive things in my life every day.

I am very thankful for Goodreads and the groups I am in have such wonderful, positive people that make me feel good (whether they realize it or not). ~HUGS~ to you all!!!!

Reading has become an escape for me, although some days I can't read (due to chronic headaches/migraines). My dog (Teddy the Bichon Frise) is my constant companion and I'd be lost without him. I have a wonderful family and friends. These are the things I try to focus on in life.

I do find being around negative people brings me down. But not people who have to fight with negativity and depression, but people who just seem to want to talk negative about everything. I find that people who struggle with depression don't voice it all the time, they tend to internalize it and become quiet. But there are some people who just seem to enjoy talking negative, whether to get attention or a reaction, I do not know. Those are the kind of people that are hard to be around.

Thank you Donna. I agree with you about the negative people. There seem to be a lot of those and I can't deal with that too much as it brings me down. But if it's negative feelings toward any kind of mental illness someone is having I try to be there just to let them know they are not alone. It seems a lot of us with those issues are ostracized. Is that the right word?

I love coming on here when I'm somewhat good and seeing all of the wonderful people talking books, making me buy more books (lol). Okay not making but you know what I mean.

I tend to stay away from people who have the profiles that you have to talk to me constantly because there are so many of us with medical issues that can't do that. It used to hurt my feelings when those people would delete me because I didn't talk to them all of the time. But now, I just block and delete because no one deserves their feelings hurt. And there are soooo many wonderful people in here that it doesn't even matter.

I just love you all that are so sweet and if any one ever needs to rant or talk send me a msg because sometimes someone just needs another person to listen. I have a few friends on here that we do that and then the next thing we are laughing and talking books and silly stuff :-)

Donna wrote: "I can relate to you Melissa. It can be a struggle to be positive everyday. I deal with Chronic Illness which has changed my life immensely. There are days where I remain very quiet online and in re..."

There are some people who are so unhappy with themselves that they can never be truly happy, which if you think about it, is very sad. I have a co-worker that I love but we secretly call him Eeyore because he always finds the bad in a situation no matter what. I told my other co-worker (the one I email things I love to daily) that I think having him in my life really helps me work my goal of staying positive. I could tell him that it is wonderful outside - clear skies, nice weather, etc. - and he would respond with something like:" Yeah wonderful for my allergies". I know that he is just not happy with the way some things have turned out in his life and deep down he is a good person so I try not to get dragged down by his negative train but someday I do and I try not to beat myself up and vow to try again the next day.

One of my mindfulness exercises is titled "When people are driving you crazy" and one of the mantra's within the mediation is thay no matter how much someone drives you crazy "somebody loves them" so I try to remember this when I am fighting my reactions to someone (i.e. they are pushing my irritation button!). On the other end of the spectrum I do work with a true narcissist who is evil (I do no use that word lightly) so for me to deal wit him I have to totally 100% ignore him.

That's a good point Heidi. If we try to look at a negative person in a positive light, this will not only help us not get downhearted, but it will help us to grow as a person. Instead of feeling negative from their negativity, we could maybe feel sorry that they're feeling that way. I do this with driving, when someone cuts in front of me or something I try to think, oh no maybe they're heading to the emergency room where a loved one is hurt. This helps me not to get upset, but to feel that it's ok because they're probably not thinking straight because they're so upset. It's healthier for me and I learn to be more tolerant of others.

Donna wrote: "That's a good point Heidi. If we try to look at a negative person in a positive light, this will not only help us not get downhearted, but it will help us to grow as a person. Instead of feeling ne..."

Good points Donna. I try to do the same thing with drivers or people in stores (both places my patience is in short supply). I also flip my thinking and if someone cuts me off or is in the 12 items line with 50 items I try to tell myself that maybe there is a reason that I need to wait (i.e. I might be just missing being in a car accident or something). That seems to help me too.

Jenny wrote: "That's a great idea Heidi! I annoy my coworkers because I'm always so chipper and happy in the morning and I always say good morning!"

You must be an extrovert Jenny! Introverts like me just want to be left alone for a good 2 hours in the mornings :) I did not realize this was an introvert thing until I read that book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking . Since I read that book and understand why I get so irritated easily with people trying to chat with me right away in the mornings I have been able to handle those situations much better (the power of books!). I can now tell myself that the person talking to me right when i walk in the work door at 8:00 a.m. about last nights The Voice, or whatever, is just wired differently than I am and is genuinely just trying to be nice and make a connection with me so not to be irritable about it. I also sent an email to my co-workers that I like to tell them if I am not chatty right away to not take any offense please and to chat with me anytime after 10:00 a.m.! I find that being open about things sometimes is the best policy for me.

Great thread/discussion topic, Jenny! And thank you all for sharing your insights and personal experiences, I found them all to be really helpful in my own life. I have found that when I am most positive, I am also the most productive and motivated, and my writing benefits. But it is hard when you're sleep-deprived or stressed or if there is negativity from external sources (like 1-star book reviews LOL!). I try my best to block out the negativity and focus on all the positive energy, much of which I get from ALL OF YOU. This group is so much more than my fan group, or a YA group that I moderate, or a group of book lovers. This group is my SANCTUARY. It's a place I can go to be myself and not be judged. I owe you all a debt of gratitude for being a part of my world and for everything you've done to support me.

And for those who find themselves sad or depressed or thinking negative thoughts, remember that there are a whole bunch of people in this group who care what you have to say, and care that you are alive. We are all better because we have each other.

Good points about the negative people. I especially like the bit about trying to see them in a positive light; it's a good habit to get in to.

While we're sharing...

I've been sick since I was born. Not just the eye condition I have that cost me my sight, but also more serious health issues. I spent a large chunk of my childhood in hospital, and some of my adult life too. The main reason I spend so little time there now is that I refuse to go, and they can't force me. Certain treatment could help a little, but given the amount of hospital time that would be required, I don't feel it's worth it, and my family respects my decision (those that know the whole truth, anyway). I may have to fight them harder in the future when things get worse. But that's a problem for the future. On top of that, I did some damage to one of my legs when I was a child, and that gives me problems sometimes too. Between physical health issues, being blind, and the depression those things cause, I have days where I struggle to even find one positive thing about the day. Those are the days when I find it most difficult to interact with people. But I try most days, and try to keep my comments and responses cheerful and positive (even if I'm feeling far from either). Most people online don't know I'm dealing with more than just being blind. In fact, I think some aren't even completely aware of that (even though it's mentioned on my profile pages everywhere). That's the way I keep it on purpose. Feeling sorry for myself won't achieve anything, and having a negative attitude because I'm not feeling well (physically or mentally) only makes others feel bad too. I don't want to make others suffer just because I am. Besides, there are people who have it worse than I do, and I know how much of a gift each day of living is, so try to appreciate it.

So well said Victoria, and thanks for sharing your story!

Heidi - I also love that book, and it really changed my perspective on being an introvert. As you said, it helped me understand and accept why I have trouble in social situations and to not feel so bad about it. Before that I had always thought I was just weird, but it was nice to learn that so many other people deal with the same things!

Also thanks Jenny for creating this thread, I think it's a very important topic. :)

I am trying every day to think more positively. I spent a lot of my teen years being very pessimistic, and unfortunately it carried over into things I said on the internet (i.e. picking fights with people, writing really harsh reviews, etc.) I still sometimes say critical things online or get into arguments, but more often I am choosing to back away from situations in which I let my anger spill over. I deal with being depressed and anxious on a regular basis, but having positive conversations definitely makes things a bit better. This group is one of my favorite places online, because you are all so lovely! ;)

WOW, I love hearing all of your stories! David's right, we all do care about each other! This is seriously my favorite place to be online :) Its a great group of people!

Heidi, I am actually a natural introvert like you and Brigid. I was terribly shy when I was young, and it took me years to get over it. Mainly, I've learned that being around others that are more extroverted will help you. Opposites attract for a reason. Your subconscious is trying to find others who have qualities you don't possess so you can, in turn, develop more of those qualities. Anyways, my best friend growing up was super popular, a naturally charismatic person that everyone loved. She would MAKE ME go out of my shell all the time. And because I loved her so much, I'd do it if she asked me to (wouldn't for anyone else!)
Same thing with my hubby. He is as extroverted as you can get! Being married to him for almost 19 years, he has really rubbed off on me!

I am NOT a morning person. AT ALL. It takes several cups of coffee to get me going. But, I want to start my work day off right. And I love my job and co-workers, and am genially happy to be there. So that's how I start it off right, by being Ms. Energetic in the morning! Usually, my co-workers are still waking up, though! Except for one, he is also a natural extrovert!

My story (since we are sharing)--I suffered from depression when I was about 27, and it was not your normal depression. I had a near death experience--a severe stroke--that was caused by a heart defect I was born with, but wasn't discovered until I had the stroke. They did all kinds of tests after to find out why a normal, completely healthy 27 year old would have such a bad stroke. Anyways, after days of really horrible tests, they finally found it. After that, I had a new heart procedure done (vascular surgery) that fixed my heart. It took about a year to completely heal. I was very lucky with my stroke, and was not handicapped, but recovered really well. I have some issues, but they are pretty minor considering, and the only people who really notice them are myself, my mom, and Darryl, and they normally only show when I'm really sick or tired.

Anyways, in the middle of this I was working a TERRIBLE job. Long hours, very stressful. My co-workers were awful, too. So dealing with the fallout from all the medical, plus that, plus I had 4 kids under the age of 7--it just got to be too much. I needed antidepressants to make it through the day. I had no death thoughts or anything like that, it was just I was so EMOTIONAL. I'd cry over anything, even if someone looked at me wrong, and it was flat out SOBBING. (this kind of reaction is actually quite common after a stroke). I also had lots of trouble with panic attacks and anxiety for awhile.

Anyways, my heart and brain recovered, I ended up quitting the terrible job, deciding that I did not want to spend my life miserable, it just isn't worth it. Life is a gift, and I try to make the most of EVERY DAY. I still sometimes get the anxiety, but I haven't had a full blown panic attack for 5 years or more, so that's good! Life is good :)

WOW Jenny, you went through a lot! I hear ya about the panic attacks, I get them pretty regularly. I have anxiety and panic disorder. They can make you feel like you're dying. It seems like everyone is dealing with something. A good reason to try to be understanding and patient with others.
I'm so glad people are sharing so much. It's really nice to get to know each other a little more. :)

Donna wrote: "WOW Jenny, you went through a lot! I hear ya about the panic attacks, I get them pretty regularly. I have anxiety and panic disorder. They can make you feel like you're dying. It seems like everyon..."

OHGosh, YES!! I would start to feel like something was wrong in my body, then I would just flat out PANIC, and I just couldn't help it! I went to the ER 20 times one month, certain EVERY time that I was having another stroke. I learned I had to get control of that pretty quick, I definitely didn't want to go to the ER every day! The doctors and nurses were beyond understanding, though, they did say it was probably a good idea for awhile to come in "just to check." Once you've had a stroke, you're likelihood for another goes way up! Now, I should be fine, as the problem with my heart is fixed :) I felt so much better after I knew there was no more leakage in my heart!

And yes, from the outside, you couldn't tell there was anything wrong with me. So many people have issues that don't really show. And if they don't, they might have a spouse or child who is living with some disease. You just never know! Its good to be understanding :)

That's very true: you never know.

I think it shows what a great group this is that everyone is feeling so comfortable sharing their stories on here.

David wrote: "Great thread/discussion topic, Jenny! And thank you all for sharing your insights and personal experiences, I found them all to be really helpful in my own life. I have found that when I am most po..."

Thank you David for your kind words and everyone else. It's hard to open up about things, especially if no one listens. :-)

Jenny wrote: "My story (since we are sharing)--I suffered from depression when I was about 27, and it was not your normal depression. I had a near death experience--a severe stroke--that was caused by a heart de..."

I'm glad your life is better Jenny. That's a good positive thing for myself to look at. I know we are all not the same but I feel like it will never change since I went into the hospital in 2008 and have been home bound from fear and other things. It's good to see and hear some positive things when a lot of days I have to drag myself out of the quicksand of depression and suicidal tendencies. There is a lot more but don't want to share all.

I'm so glad you started this because it helps people :-)

Oh my goodness Jenny, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I can't imagine how scary and stressful that must have been. But I'm so glad you're still here and that you recovered––that's amazing!

I'm also glad to know I'm not the only person in this group who deals with depression/anxiety. I tend not to be very open about it, but it's always nice to know we're not alone in our struggles. I've had anxiety ever since I was 11 years old; it usually manifests as health anxiety, which leads to panic attacks. I ended up in the ER a couple years ago because I had a panic attack so bad that I couldn't breathe and my limbs went totally numb––not fun. But fortunately it was "just" anxiety. :P It's not easy to deal with, but I try not to let it control me.

Jenny wrote: "WOW, I love hearing all of your stories! David's right, we all do care about each other! This is seriously my favorite place to be online :) Its a great group of people!

Heidi, I am actually a nat..."

OK. Well that makes sense Jenny. Gotcha :)

Loved the poem at the end of that article. Thanks for sharing, Jenna.

This thread goes to show that everyone deals with something, whether big or small. I still don't get why mental stuff like depression etc is such a big taboo.

I myself used to have panic attacks, but it's been years now. Sometimes I feel like I'm about to have one, but I know how to handle them, what to do to make it better, and I've succeeded so far. I'm proud about that.
I also had a mild depression one time. I felt neglected. Too long of a story to type on my phone :)
Anyway. I've seen some people saying that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is a terrible saying, and yet in my case it's kind of true; Some of you know that my boyfriend for almost four years disappeared for more than 48 hours last year, and attempted suicide. He's still battling with all of this, but it gets better each day.
These last 7 months have made me so much stronger and changed me. If you'd asked me then, I would've sworn that I couldn't do this. Yet here I am. And I'm doing good most of the time. I'm proud of him for choosing life even though it's hard, and you know what else? I'm really proud of myself too! I don't care that you're not supposed to be proud of yourself. I am. I won't feel ashamed about that.
I used to be a rather negative person, but I've learned (and still am learning) to look at things in a different light.

Depression is one of those topics that many people tend to shy away from, because it is "taboo" to talk about. In my opinion, that's silly, so it's good to see everyone being so open in this group. That is a huge step in the right direction. Depression is nothing to be ashamed of. Life is HARD. Bad stuff happens. Sometimes nothing bad happens but it is still HARD to get out of bed in the morning. We all work through these things, but we all need help sometimes.

Sometimes after reading a few negative (and sometimes just plain mean) reviews about my books, I get down. That kills my motivation. When I'm not motivated, my writing suffers. I come to this group and you all brighten my day and help to motivate me, inspire me, and make me want to be BETTER.

No matter what you all are going through, know that I appreciate you, and that you have something to offer me and the rest of the world.

Irene I think it is more than healthy to have solid self esteem and be proud of yourself. Yes some people can take this overboard and be egocentric but in general I think we are all supposed to love ourselves first so we can share ourselves best with other people :) I am glad to hear your boyfriend is choosing life. My niece was just in the hospital last week for making plans to harm herself (she has epilepsy and there was a mix up with her medication that caused her depression). Luckily her issue was medication related and she is back home and doing well but it reminded me of how lucky I am not to have the same struggles going on in my life.

I have had several panic attacks in my life (they started shortly after my first cancer diagnosis). Luckily for me I have been doing Mindfulness exercises and they really seem to help calm my brain down. Like others have said here - you never know what is going on with other people behind closed doors so it helps to remember that when dealing with difficult people. Great discussion guys and gals :)

I agree with Heidi, Irene. There is nothing wrong with being proud of yourself for how well you've handled things. Man, we have to feel good about ourselves and what we achieve in our lives. Not that we become prideful and look down on others, but feeling good about yourself is a healthy thing. I think it's great that your boyfriend is choosing life. I think it's great that Melissa is choosing to live. Some days will be hard, but there is much in life worth living for. It's important to try to focus on the good things in our lives each day, it's so easy to focus on the negative, but takes work and practice to focus on the positive. But never give up!

Oh, and David, no matter what those few negative comments say...PLEASE never stop writing!!!!! Your writing is so good and your stories help us to escape into the world you create when we need an escape. One day when I was feeling down I sat down and reread Strings (love that book) and I escaped from my feelings and it helped. So PLEASE KEEP WRITING!!! :)

I agree depression should be less taboo.
Its like the saying or quote(?)
" Life is so hard, its a wonder notmore people struggle."

Donna wrote: "I agree with Heidi, Irene. There is nothing wrong with being proud of yourself for how well you've handled things. Man, we have to feel good about ourselves and what we achieve in our lives. Not th..."

I agree with Donna and Heidi, its good to be proud of yourself for doing something well, or even just trying your best.

And DITTO to everything else you said Donna!! ( I believe I've told David close to the same thing once or twice)

:) :) :)

I agree with Heidi, Donna, and Jenny... You should be proud of yourself, Irene!

Also, I agree with Donna and Jenny about your books, David. I only hope, one day, I can make as many people happy with my own books as you do with yours, David!

Thanks for all your kind comments, everyone, and I'm honored that my books could help people in any way. Never fear, I won't stop writing until my heart stops beating :)

I definitely agree with you and this is something that I have noticed more and more about society and I think it's a huge reason why there are so many shootings and other awful things happening. I especially see the ungratefulness come out of my students from time to time as a teacher and I find it a problem in my classes. For example, on giving Tuesday I gave my juniors a fun sticker and they loudly complained that they'd rather have extra credit.

I just think people have become more entitled as the generations go on and because of that I think we get the negativity. Everyone seems to feel that they deserve things and that's not how life works.

That's why I like being a part of this group because everyone is nice to each other and we all support one another. Even though for the most part we haven't met in person and that we talk through the computer, we still have a connection and that comes through our love of books specifically YA. It's nice to have a place where you can be yourself online.

Ah yes, that word: entitled. I agree, each generation seems to have this more and more. Appreciation and thankfulness are fading away!

I'm so glad you enjoy being in this group, we love having you, Catherine!! I didn't know you were a teacher (or if I did, I forgot because of my terrible memory). Awesome. I've been having a great time visiting high schools in Hawaii and connecting with teens. As well as some Skype visits with classrooms on the mainland :)

Really excellent to see everyone sharing their stories. So important to be sharing positivity in a world where so many people seem to enjoy hating on everything then crawling back under their secret bridge to avoid repercussions.

This has been an amazing thread and I love how everyone has really opened up and shared. You are all so incredible and I am so blessed to be a part of this group! :)

It's hard to talk in certain groups. I have so many mental and physical problems that it is hard to share it all. And I feel that No One is better than another no matter what problems they have. That is a problem I see a lot with people, it's like mine is worse than yours and you can just get over your problems. A lot of people can't do that.

I read a book a couple of months ago (can't remember the name because I have trouble remembering things) but it was a memoir about a man that was blown up by an explosive in Iraq. He came back with only one functional limb, the rest were those prosthetics. This man was so amazing and positive you couldn't help but cry and be so proud of him. At the end of the book he wrote an authors note that said no matter the terrible things he went through and lost, he didn't feel like his issues were any more important than anyone else's. He said it didn't matter if you were going through losing a job etc. That everyone had something and it was important or hurtful to them. I thought that was the most wonderful thing I have ever read. And I cried ALOT.

There are so many wonderful groups on here but I'm going to have to drop a lot of them. I feel like I don't fit in anywhere in some and I don't say too much. Others are just wonderful and very kind and actually talk to you and have fun or cry depending on what is going on.

The book loving world is a great place to find new friends that enjoy books and can talk about real life. I think that is really nice and I hope you all can keep enjoying your comaraderie together ❤

Mel, I know what you mean about finding your place in a group. I'm thankful to have found a couple I feel really comfortable in. I do hope you don't leave this group, as I think it's the only one we are both in together, but if you do, I understand and we're still friends on Goodreads! Remember, you can private message me anytime. We have a lot in common and I understand needing to have connections that will be there for you, but also understand if you go quiet for a while. ~hugs~

Big hugs to you Donna. You are definitely a sweet friend I will not forget. I see you on here, on my Pinterest, on my google + and it always makes me smile :-)