lets hear some positive stories to get everyone in the holiday mood

[_Jaffa_]

Sorry. I apologise for my life being sad and rubbish.

[shes2smart]

Summer 2001. 37, never married, just broke up with a cheating ex-bf. Felt I was ready to get married but nary a single, desirable, eligible man who wanted to even think of getting married was crossing my path....let alone one who I found interesting/attractive.

 

Out of nowhere, I get an IM from some arrogant little twit who was all of 26. Seems he found a nearly-empty profile of mine on a website (message boards, kinda like here, but for the kink community). All that was on my profile was my age, gender, marital status, general geographic location and Yahoo Messenger ID.

 

We chat for a few weeks, he asks me out. I figure I'll go meet him and get it over with. He's 11 years younger than me and lives 2 hours away. To me, both of those are strikes against him being serious relationship material. But he is persisant and insists on meeting me.

 

We meet. The date lasts for most of that day. Three days later, unbeknownst to me, he buys an engagement ring. A week after our first date, he asks me to marry him. We do so less than a year after we first met.

 

Been married 4.5 years now...still ridiculously happy with each other and our life together. In that arrogant little twit (honestly, it was my first impression of him) who is 11 years my junior I found a true life partner in every sense of the word.

[luvursmile]

Wow!!! Thats nice!

That made me smile!

[Timebandit]

Grew up in a dysfunctional family

 

By 13 I had started to withdraw and hate myself

By 16 I hated myself and wanted to die. It was also at that time my social phobia began

By 21 I moved away from home and it gave me some much needed relief (the worst years of my life was over, but still not enough to start working on my issues)

By 25 I got a job in IT which initially helped me by improving my self-esteem

By 28 I had become a workaholic

By 29 I was completely isolated once again, and heading back for depression

By 30 I stopped running from my problems. Among other things I started to se a CBT therapist (there is more to the story than that, but reaching out was very important)

By 31 I had realized that I was not hopeless, but had learned some bad behaviour at home (behaviour that could be unlearned)

By 32 I no longer considered myself a social phobic

By 33 my fear of intimacy started to fade, and I connected deeper to people I know can call friends

 

While in some ways beeing a tough year, 2006 has been the best year I can remember. Looking forward to 2007.

[kellbell]

Okay my turn!

 

Last Christmas, I was miserable. I broke up with my boyfriend of 4 years 6 days before Christmas. My parents was separated. I was miserable at my job and I was in therapy. I tried to make the best of it, I put on a happy face and spread Christmas cheer but I was a wreck inside.

 

I met a wonderful person via internet and we started to talk all the time on the phone, Yahoo IM. He was going through some real tough times too. We consuled one another, gave one another encouragement and hope. We ended up having developing feelings for another. Strong feelings. I was living in Connecticut at the time and he lives in Colorado. I flew out to meet him 2 1/2 months after we started talking. We had an amazing time. Flew out here 3 more times before making the final decision to stay here for good.

 

This past summer, I secured an amazing apartment In Colorado, bought a cute little kitten, quit my job I was miserable at. I moved cross-country and my mom came with me. We had an amazing time. Nothing, I mean nothing went wrong during this move. I landed an awesome job 2 weeks after I moved here. I love my new job. The people, the work. Now, me and my honey are happy, so excited to be spending our first Christmas together. He is so excited to give me my gifts,he insisted I open one early. LOL We are having a lovely Christmas breakfast and dinner.

 

So, compared to last year, I have come so far and my life is soooo different. I took many risks coming out here, and so far, every risk I took has been well worth it!

[easyguy]

I am in the best shape of my life -- physically, mentally, and emotionally -- for it being the Holidays, and for mustering up the discipline needed to achieve the goal of losing weight (and keeping it off) altogether. Not an intimate relationship story, but a positive relationship with myself.

 

Have a Happy Holidays, everyone!

[Dako]

Two years ago I lost more than six extremely close friends and grew weary of funerals. Life started to improve until my wife and I returned from a fine breakfast at the beach, and she ended our 27 years as a couple. I was devastated in every way possible.

She was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and after a long battle to find a surgeon willing to operate, she recovered with minimal damage.

While this went on she had my ailing dog put down.

 

I was annoyed.

 

I now live in a fine little house of my own. At 54, I feel like I'm thirty, have no ailments and take no medications. I feel like my life is starting on a new canvas, yet I have experience to guide me. I'll sidestep the mistakes of my past and find new ones, but marriage is out of the question. Everything is to be savored in this new life. I enjoy my cookng, friends, and nature as never before. It's a bit lonely, but it's forced me to wash my truth and face some fears.

Still friends with the ex, but my feelings lie elsewhere.

With any luck, 2007 will be a wonderful year.

[rocio]

On what planet are these uplifting or happy stories?

[Newo Ikkin]

This year I've not only had my life saved, but saved a life.

I have the most beautiful diamond ring on my left hand, and to me it symbolises the resurrection of both broken souls and joining them as one.

(That sounds really cheesy, but its true.)

I have a beautiful healthy family, and my nana is still with us.

I joined ENA, to both help and be helped. And at least one of them has been successful. I'm now sure I have a future and looking forward to it, instead of just feeling obliged to breathe.

 

May 2007 be happier for us all.

[Newo Ikkin]

Oooh and a little Christmas thought that just made me smile.

 

A good few years ago (back in the days where it was mandatory to wake up on Christmas Day at 4am sharp) my brother and I decided to put our Tots TV toy telephone intercoms under our pillows on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, the first one to wake was to phone the other. Needless to say, due to much excitement, the phones weren't needed. But it still makes me smile.

 

I thank God for a wonderful brother and sister, even more now.

[Lanterna Magica]

Well for what this is worth, just an observation I made last night...

 

I was feeling sad and low after my break up thinking about all those things I now have to do for myself, fearing making some far reaching changes to lifestyle in 2007 and questioning whether I had it within me to discipline myself and a thought crossed my mind as I got in the car....

 

'I just wish I could see some sort of sign that I am on the right path here...

 

I turned the keys, flipped the lights on and on the back of a van in front of me was a luminous sticker that said in huge silver letters

 

'BELIEVE'

 

I laughed to myself and I thought 'That'll do!'

 

2007! May it be a joyful year!

[Dako]

Lanterna,

 

Those sorts of omens are dear to my heart. I'm agnostic and seldom superstitious but I do believe in chance.