I’ve been thinking about how I wanted to go about posting this for the past couple days. This is my second time participating in this program which honestly, I felt and still do, is a WONDERFUL opportunity to meet and share support for what can be a difficult journey at times. I have read people excitedly agree to participate and swear to abide by the rules set forth by Rona. The rules are extremely simple at that, email your pal at least once a week and send $10 minimum gift to be received by the end of each of the three month commitment. Not difficult by any means! I know life can catch up with us and we lose track of time, yadda yadda yadda…but if you miss an email or your gift that should be remedied ASAP.  


The two people that I have been assigned to so far have been wonderful and I enjoy speaking with them. Since I am in the beginning of my journey with surgery to be scheduled within the next month or so, I am a sponge for information, personal experiences and just plain guidance. It’s exciting and yet somewhat scary when you are first starting out. Think about how you felt at all those various stages…    This program was put in place to help those with questions, fears and just to support one another. Who doesn’t enjoy having someone out there telling you “hey, you are doing a great job!"or that they understand because they too were where you are? Who out there doesn’t enjoy getting a little something in the mail from someone to show they really do care and not just some words on a computer screen? Who doesn’t enjoy that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you see the thought and effort put into something that is just for you and you alone? THAT’S WHAT THIS IS FOR!  


BUT….we have people out there that are not doing their jobs, fulfilling their commitment to this program which they said they would do from the very beginning, remember this is voluntary, YOU and YOU ALONE chose to participate. Rona has put so much time into this when really it shouldn’t take that much, if we all did our part. It shouldn’t be a constant battle for her to research and try to get a hold of people to see what the problem is. As I stated before, this is my 2^nd time participating, and I’ve had duds each time (people that were assigned to me). I am not a complainer and have always been a glass half empty kind of person but in trying not to make this sound extremely personal, PLEASE think of how your actions impact others. It can be sometimes hurtful to your pal if you don’t live up to your promise to hold up your end.
Sometimes there are people out there that truly look forward to that email every week or you never know if your kind words or actions may brighten that person’s day. It really is a crummy feeling when you get excited about what surprise is lurking in that package and after checking the mail day after day, nothing ever shows up.  


As a closing note and then I promise to get off my soap box, make sure that even though you may think it’s a good idea to post on the forum that you are sorry you missed sending out of gift or offering some explanation as to why you haven’t emailed etc, please make sure you are emailing your pal directly as some of us do not get on these forums regularly. Making a ‘group announcement’ carries no further then just here, especially if the person you are directing it towards is not a regular on the forum board. They are still left wondering what happened with no personal apology....just my thoughts on that.  


Moreover, how would you feel if you were on the other end of this?



 Rona,
 Again thank you for all that you have done for ALL of us. You have offered a great service and it’s crappy that we have people out there that don’t take it seriously. I thank you for introducing me to Jodie last quarter and having you this quarter is a blessing to say the least. You have an amazing heart and I hope you continue to spread the cheer. I look forward to getting to know you better… God Bless         Everyone is allowed to their own opinion, and this is just mine. If you are offended by this post, perhaps there is a reason…..



    Those of you that are doing what you are supposed to, thank you and keep up the good work!  
This is a FANTASTIC program when it works and more then anything... it should be FUN!! So get out there and send those emails, gifts and more importantly.... SMILE, LAUGH and SPREAD THE LOVE!!!