Finding people that “get” you is hard in the real world.  On the rare occasion that you do find someone you immediately click with, you treasure that!  You realize it is truly a gift.

Imagine the surprise when genuine friendships were formed and bonds made that span 20 plus years!  What a blessing having found that in these beautiful people I met “online.”  They weren’t scary after all.  Instead, they were the best friends I never knew I needed in life, until we found each other in an online forum.

It takes a bold move to put yourself out there.  You hope by putting on a brave face you will be accepted and in turn have a friend walk alongside you in life.  Shyknight took that step, despite his reservations in doing so.  Likeminded people did the same, and we soon found forever friends in each other.

One post intrigued us, and that post lead to nights of playful bantering back and forth among people we would soon call friends.

A phone call placed lead to hours of laughter.

An extended invitation lead to days of fun adventures together in another state!

I was invited into “his” world and took another flight to Illinois!  The sweet Southern Belle was like a fish out of water any time she opened her mouth on this trip.  A trip to Shyknight’s workplace lead to individuals asking questions JUST to hear the southern accent and southern drawl.  This one lady did not even try to disguise her laughter as she admitted wishing to hear more as I floundered around trying not to act as awkward as I felt.

We have had many visits since then.  One visit stands out especially in my mind as I reflect back fondly on the evening we all spent together with his aunt.  She enjoyed playing games!  We gathered around her dining room table and filled several hours laughing and joking with each other.  My youngest daughter was soaking up every moment, taking breaks, of course, to play with his aunt’s dog, Toby.  On another occasion, we all went to dinner with his aunt.  It was an honor to be among his family and to have them become a part of my own!

Through the years, Shyknight became “Uncle Greg” to my daughters.  He has been a witness to important events in our lives such as the marriage of my oldest daughter to the love of her life just last year.

Who would have EVER thought that a chance meeting in an online forum would result in holidays spent together?