last journal
I just read that FMO on Daily Strength is closing. It hurts as this is where I came a in the lowest point in my life. It is where I could let it all out and know I would be understood, and my thoughts would be read by kindred spirits; I would not be judged. Will I have the same guarantee of privace on the FMO site?
Right now I am feeling particularly low as Lisa's 10th angelversary is on the 1st of December. I just spent 2 weeks with Lisa's daughter and granddaughters. I had a lovely time there but was emotional as it is where Lisa was happy and we had plans. It hurts that Sierra and Arabella won't know her.
I am just sad right now. I know it will pass but right now I am just sad.
Replies
Dearest Marlene, I am so sorry that our decision to close FMO on DS is feeling like another blow. Oh, that is the last thing that any of us ever want for our sisters of the heart. This decision was made over a period of time that there was inactivity here and the majority of the women were on FB and migrating too to our website where one can journal safely as we have complete control over our website with Mr. LJ tending to it daily.
The decade angel anniversary really blew my doors down. In anticipation we traveled to Oregon to feel as close as we could to Douglas as it was always a favorite vacation place for us as a young family. It helped immensely, yet still to think that we are "here" earth side a decade without our BEloved children is so very painful, I know.
I'm grateful to hear that your time with your family was heartfelt and that you traveled safely there and back. Of course it hurts that Sierra and Arabella won't know their grandmother, your Lisa, as you always hoped they would. Thank goodness they have the love of Joe and of you in their tribe.
Gentle, gentle care dearest Marlene, and I sit in the sadness with you knowing that offering my hand and my heart what I can do.
Loving care my friend as you approach Lisa's angel anniversary. No parent should ever have to anticipate these days nor live through them, yet somehow we do one moment and day at a time.
Tightest of heart (((hugs)))
XO Joanie
Oh, I just saw your question about the level of privacy on our website. Yes, it's a secure site that Mr. LJ monitors and has created. It is as secure as they come and has been up and running for quite some time now. We have had more and more of our soth coming over to check it out and get comfortable and as I have said to everyone, just start "pressing buttons" and see what we have. If you have any questions and or concerns please be sure to reach out to us. formomsonly@gmail.com and we will help in any way that we can.
Merrilee is working on moving the birthday/angel day lists to the website and that is under construction right now. We are hopeful it will be up and running for our December list. We are diligently working daily to create a safe haven for our women and are in touch with the Wix developers to see if we cannot get more functionality. It's a work in progress and we are very pleased with what we are able to do. Most of all stay connected.
Hi Marlene, I too am saddened that DS/FMO is closing. It is truly the end of an era. This safe haven was my “go to” when Eddie passed 10 years ago. I could write in the middle of the night & know my sisters would read my thoughts when they could & send me their love, advice and support. I’ve just started to navigate the FMO website & I will need to push those buttons & get comfortable with it but the nice thing is that there is a lot of activity there. Unfortunately DS/FMO never seemed to bounce back to its former self after DS changed the format so dramatically.
Eddie’s 10 year angelversary was on September 4th. It was challenging but not as bad as I thought it would be, thank goodness. My grandchildren were sad since they have children now as you know and what a Grandfather Ed would have been, just like sweet Lisa. How they would have doted on the children. I understand how hard it is not to have Lisa here with her daughter and granddaughters. How beautiful Sierra and Arabella are and how pleased our children must be that we are there for their grand babies. That is what keeps me going. Ken and I stand in the gap for Ed and that brings me comfort. I will be thinking of you and dearest Lisa on December 1st. I hope Lisa’s angelversary is gentle for you. Tight, understanding hugs, Linda
I totally understand your feeling regarding DS. The closing of our group here does feel bittersweet for me as well. It was our first safe place to land and share it ALL. It was never intended, however, to be our forever "home", as one of Barbara's dreams was to have our own website, where we were in total control. This has now happened and I know in my heart she is pleased. And as Joanie and Linda said, after all the major changes were done to the this site, our moms simply stopped using it and it became a dormant place where few visited, and most complained about...myself included! I truly hope you will utilize our site and love it as much....even more....than DS, for our site is truly 100% us and ours!
Ten years.....TEN LONG YEARS!!! Oh how my soul screamed at the realization of a decade passing without one single physical touch from my child! I get it. It's simply mind boggling to comprehend, and yet, here it is, staring us in the face and demanding we deal with it. 13 years for me on come Jan 2......
I have so loved seeing the pictures you've been posting of the girls! Oh my goodness how big they're getting! And their personalities certainly shine through in the photos! I'd love to be in their presence during one of the concert performances for sure! Heartbreaking knowing they will never feel the touch of their dear grandmother, who no doubt would have been goo goo eyed over them from day one! I know Lisa is watching and laughing with and loving you all from where she is....and I guess that's the easier part....her being able to be a part from her perspective, yet we can't quite see and feel them as clearly, can we? OH how our hearts hurt!
Thank you for checking in and sharing what's on your heart and please do check in on ForMomsOnly.org and know that your heart is as safe there to share as it is here.
Tightest of understanding heart hugs~
Teri
I can't find anything about DS closing down...I understand FMO won't continue to be active but I want to verify this is happening? Anyone??
10 years, so hard. 13 I'm finding even harder. Love you beautiful, I'm thinking of you and your LISA....
DS is NOT shutting down. Your DS profile/journals are intact and still there. The only change is that we closed the DS group page ForMomsOnly on DS only.
FMO has created our own website as Teri explained above which holds all of our news, upcoming events. private journaling/blog features, retreat information and pictures, kids and mom birthday/angel dates, information on our FMO board members, slideshows of our children/moms, we are adding our scrapbooks to this new site, a FMO store, resource page...and so much more.
This was always Barbara's wishes and she worked tirelessly with DS trying to modify DS to meet our and other groups needs...after the DS changes several years ago we were frustrated that we could not control our data and lost so much in the transitions. We started then moving towards our very own web site with the help of Joanie's husband, Richard, he made this come true and volunteers his time to this website as a labor or love to all of us and our children.
We finally completed one of the last wishes that Barbara wished...our own secure website.
More and more changes have been made to our website and more and more moms have joined.
All you have to do is go to the website, register and that is it. No one can see your postings except FMO grieving moms that have been registered and screened.
It is our hope that our moms will migrate to this new website, which is so beautiful and easy to use...but more importantly, FMO controls the site's content totally.
www.formomsonly.org
love you bunches,
Ann
I'm still journaling here, and will continue to do so.
The "group" closed, but not our personal profiles. We can still journal, still read journals posted by our friends. We are still connected here!! FMO group just moved to their own website. Everything else remains the same here.
(((hugs)))
Marlene, I'd like to invite you join Life Stories. It's a new group I created here on DS. I wanted a space that wasn't FB and wasn't necessarily all about grief and healing like our FMO website. And although it's perfectly OK to share about such things as grief and loss and the sadness in our lives. I just wanted a place to share our life stories....whatever makes up our lives on the day to day.