St. Louis, MO Respite Weekend - April 15-17, 2011

St. Louis Smiles

Random comments from and pictures of those who attended...

... now my head is swimming with thoughts and perspectives and more topics i would have wanted to talk about or talk about more.

I think I mostly listened. I was just awe-struck with the weekend, mostly dumbfounded and didn't get any sleep 'cause I kept thinking and thinking about all I had heard. I think I finally came out of it on Sunday!

I will not ever be the same again.

That was the first time I had ever been with another spouse whose spouse was disabled. Really!! And the first time I had ever met other WS's face to face.

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It was a marvelous respite! I agree with you that simply being with those who understand how we live is so important ... Every now and again I'll grin thinking about something funny that was said or something amusing that happened during the weekend. I probably won't forget the hail infused trot to the hotel any time soon.

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I want to go back. I'm ready now.

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I'm with you... I'd go back in a second... it was good for our souls...

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We made friends for life during that respite and I am blessed.

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The setting was great and the hail didn't bother me a bit.....but the face to face everyday was so emotionally filling.

In trying to understand why I felt so high from this respite.....

I was truly surrounded by people like me.

All of the people there held me in high esteem because they knew all about my journey....and the respect was mutual because I knew their journeys were equally as difficult. This, alone, is a bonding factor. I am in the company of some really great people.

I feel I can call anyone from that respite anytime if I need that hug. And that peer will reach out as best they can under their own trying circumstances. Now, that's 10 people I haven't even used yet.

I feel like I belong to a new and powerful club. 

That's what I got out of it. And I'm still riding that high.
 

Really great people! And don't you forget it.