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As Forum Manager of The Microsoft Network's "Chronic Disease & Disorders Forum," with it's dozens of areas devoted to a variety of chronic diseases and conditons, I've run across individuals in my forum who suffer from unpronoucable degenerative diseases with life just being one long downhill slide. Surprisingly, there's spirit, laughter, warmth, and a wonderful community feeling in the forum, despite the sad respective and collective causes of our being brought together there. We share a lot of good feelings together, and when there's a "bad day" for anyone, well, we share and care there, too. Our member, Jim Jones... a sharp-as-a-tack, 45 year old "latter-day Woodstockian," had a 'bad MS (mulitple sclerosis) day" yesterday. Out of his pain, he wrote the following poem which touched me deeply. I share it with you that we may remember that we're not the ONLY ones out there with "bad days," and human fears. "ONE OF THOSE DAYS" by Jim Jones, long-time MS sufferer I woke this day and shook his hand again As if I had a choice to love or hate This one who sneers and winks as if a friend But will not feel the pain or bear the weight And he will shadow me until this day Is night when dreams once more turn useless hands To music, and numb legs to run and play With crimson lace and lady through the sands To walk, to jump, to dance and feel the air To run through fields of grass. To touch the sun The moon, the stars, the heavens if I dare Before the morning strikes, my time is done Once more his leer, his hand for me to take Embrace this beast and know I must awake Barb Mallut, ([log in to unmask])