Dear Helcat,

is this your goodbye from the forums? I hope not, I would regret you leaving!

I know that there are some issues between you and anita, and I understand a part of where you are coming from. However, whatever the conflict and misunderstanding with one member of the forum, it doesn’t mean you need to leave.

I for one value your contributions and it would be a pity if you left. Other members have also expressed their appreciation, so please have that in mind. Even anita said that she values your contributions (many of your replies OPs are excellent, so I am interested in your continuous participation on tiny buddha.).

I understand and share your concern about people sometimes being treated harshly. One of the instances I noticed was Stargazer24, where I feel anita should have apologized to the member instead of simply saying something along the lines of “I made a mistake, we are all humans and make mistakes, no big deal.” Apology is an important part of the interaction, because it says that we are aware that we have hurt, or might have hurt the other person.

Having said that, I appreciate anita’s honest sharing about how she used to berate herself for making a mistake, whereas now she can forgive herself and move on. So I see how she is being kind to herself and doesn’t berate herself for making a mistake. Which is super important! I also see how sometimes she could be kinder to some of the members.

In any case, I hope you will stay, Helcat, so we can all benefit from your sharing!