Grateful

It's a true friend (or, in this case, friends) who will listen to you talk, allowing you to share your fears, without telling you that you're whinging or depressing them. I haven't been talking about the surgery thing much outside family - about the fears and concerns and frustrations this entire situation has brought on - until tonight.

I listen to others talk and share, and I feel concern for them and commiserate and try to be a good friend and listener. I stopped letting my friends do that for me for a lot of reasons. I didn't want to be a burden or a downer, and I didn't want to sound like a whimp or a whiner.

But, Mike pointed out that it's not about this being a minor thing as compared to other people's problems. Those are problems belonging to other people. I'm entitled to have feelings and concerns about my own problems, and it's okay to share them with my friends.

So, thank you Alan and Vin and JD. I needed to say "I'm worried, and I'm in pain." without being judged for it. Ya'll were great tonight for just letting me get all that out.