You're right, Bob: I've come through some very hard times with the loving support of friends. But, no matter how much I am thankful for the handful of really true friends I've had in my life and the ones I still have, as the song says, "God bless the child that's got his own." There are places we all have to go where no friend can come with us. That's certainly what all this X, Y,Z, 1,2, 3 discussion is all about. Reducing experiences to letters and numbers may protect the privacy of Guest, but it doesn't reflect the reality and pain of what has happened. Letters and numbers don't feel anything. They don't hurt...

The best that can come from all of this is that you realize that YOU are priceless, Guest, and that you are not the one who has lost everything. Whatever has happened, which is hard for us to know, keep your own integrity. That's something only you can destroy. No one else can take it from you.

Jerry