Lori and Linda, Thank you so much for your replies! I feel so welcome here and always take something away from what I read. How wonderful that we can all help each other! Linda, I read your May 22 2005 entry and you have "hit the nail on the head". I have found myself taking as much advantage of this time as possible. In fact I have been writing a letter to my dad and just mailed if off this morning. As you wrote about your papa, my dad was always there. When I was sure I knew better than him, kept him up all night worrying about me, acted like a spoile brat-he was always there, never turned away from me. Never stopped being my friend, my hero, my dad. I was not going to mail the letter but realized I would regret it terribly if I held on to it. With my dad, sometimes emotions and feelings are better expressed thru writing...I would have been a wreck trying to tell him in person and would have forgotten alot of what I wanted to say. I hope everyone's week is off to a good start...as good as can be!