It's rare that you find a community like Active Rain. Over the past year, I've had an unbelievably busy schedule and it has been frustrating being away from the site as much as I have. Why? I like keeping up with the people I've connected with, and the site is a source of inspiration and encouragement.
Our family was hit with multiple challenges throughout the year, some good, 
some not so good. Our two companies became very busy, demanding extended work hours, weeks and months that didn't yield much free time. That's the good kind of challenge that most entrepreneurs love, but it can be exhausting. I added staff, but there is room for more at some point in 2015.
On the not so good side, our two geriatric dogs died and my step-dad passed away. In all three cases, I was terribly heartbroken. My step-dad had been sick on and off for a good while so it wasn't a total surprise, but in many ways it was still a shock. The dogs were both old, but it was still a pretty big shock.
During all of those events, Active Rain members made special efforts to contact me and encourage me. I received a lot of condolences and well wishes, but most of all I received heartfelt support. That's what I love about this community.
All of us have our life experiences both good and bad. It's great to share in the excitement of our successes, but it's also comforting when others reach out to us in our struggles.
It's nice to know that someone notices when you haven't been around for a while. It's encouraging when you receive an unsolicited note saying, "Hey, I've missed you." I hope that happens to every AR member when life gets in the way and he/she can't make the daily journey. Thank you for your support. I hope it spreads far and wide for all AR members.
Comments(22)