<p>The one thing that keeps me comming back to CC and the parents forum is the sense of community that has been developed and the sories that connect us in this particular forum. </p>
<p>Many of you I do look at as extended family and I have learned so much from you. Those of us who have been posting or lurking for any period of time may even find ourselves sharing the stories of our CC friends with others, not so much from a ohhh, point finger perspective as much as thanking those who have been so gracious to share their stories that provide us with so many life lessons and teachable moments. These are kids that I will probably never meet live in this life time but I hold them in my heart like my own.</p>
<p>I know since I have been posting/ lurking, my heart did go out to the kids that were part of the Yale EA massacre of december 03. During a time when it seemed that april would never come, I was grateful for Thedad counting down the days to acceptance letters to the tune of the 12 days of christmas.</p>
<p>I remember Evilrobot being accepted to Yale and passing it up for a full ride at Vandy and how he came back and gave us feedback on the wonderful first year he had. Lesson, there is life if you cannot attend your "dream school" you just make new dreams and it all works out fine.</p>
<p>Many of us went through the admissions process with Candi, who was taking care of her family and dealing with her own illness and her acceptance to Yale and a host of other great schools. No one would have ever though that the deposit to hold a space would become a big deciding factor in choosing a school.</p>
<p>How many of us gasped when we heard that Soozie's D and Orangeblossom's S were in car accidents? How many of us were so happy to hear that Soozie's D a year later is dancing and hasn't missed a step and were grateful for the new but totaled car that kept OB's son safe?</p>
<p>We remember how dishearnening it was when Berurah's son's college acceptance but the money did not come with it. We all rejoiced together when the admissions with the money came rolling in and for one shining moment no matter what colleges we attended we were all blue devils fan because her son was living his dream with aid that made it possible.</p>
<p>I remember rushing home and diring up by computer while taking off my coat to find out what happened with Roby's, Bandit's, Simba's, Marite's , Kat's, dig's, Momsdream's and other's kids during the admission process. </p>
<p>I remember how sad Alu when she shared one of her D's rejection and how sad she was sitting in her office because she knew she would have to put up a brave front for her daughter. We all at cyber icecream with her. A few days later drank cyber champagne with her celebrated big when the Stanford and Princeton acceptances came and she wrote about seeing her D's red hair waving across the campus. When she sent her first born off to school and wrote about how much she missed her, many of us knew how she felt.</p>
<p>When Katrina hit the golf coast schools, we wanted to know what happened with every one's kid who got displaced and when we did not hear from Cangel for a few days we were worried. My heart goes out to Jmmom who has been a stauch supporter of Tulane and said that they were sticking it out only to find out that her son's program has been discontinued and now they must start the search again.</p>
<p>I watered up 2 days ago reading minnesotamom's posting about her and her son.</p>
<p>So almost a year later we remember waiting for days on end and getting excited when we saw andi's name posted only feel her disappointment when she said nothing yet and the waitlist schools did not come through. So yes this has been a long night in the life of andi and andison and we are all waiting (some like me almost impatiently) for the joy that comes in the morning. Who would have though that a single letter could touch so many lives? </p>
<p>The stories that I have read her on CC are the stories that resonnate in our hearts and are etched in our memories. They are also the stories that we want to hear how they play out because they are the stories that we remember, and we share with others. They are the stories that we tell others when they think that things are hopeless to remind them that there is hope and at the end of the day you are where you need to be.</p>
<p>They are the ties that bind us as parents, as students and as a community here on CC. I don't count it robbery when one is singled out because I know that we've still got enough love, happiness, compassion and empathy to go around to everyone who so graciously tells their story here and Sinners alley is never out of free drinks.</p>