I wanted to thank everyone for their love and kindness to me the last few months. As many of you may know, I only started writing this year, and that has been so wonderful and rich and special. You may also know about my tremor disorder and the challenges I've faced, along with my wife's health this year.

You may know about my most recent challenge; diagnosed with PTSD after memories of being sexually abused along with my sis by a family member when we were little.

I've been very candid and perhaps too open and honest, but it's really the only way I know how to be. The silly cartoon pictures and the frequent use of my father's native tongue? Crying and more crying with tragic stories that somehow turn out right and happy in the end.

My older brother told me this weekend that he's begun to write some humorous family stories in a semi-autobiographical way. He's always been a great writer, but years of abuse in our house growing up made all four kids extremely insecure and without any confidence. I'm excited that he's taken up writing again, since he is so much better than I am at writing a tale with detail and warmth and emotion. What hurts; likely the worst feeling in the world, like the pastor who skips Sunday service to play golf, but can't tell anyone he knows about his hole in one....I have had so much encouragement and feel so much better about myself as a person and as a writer because of the love and support I've received here. But because of my family circumstances, I've no one I know in the real world..out there, you know you're all real and wonderful to me...Apart from my therapist, I've no one to tell this to. And the people I love...my wife and son; my two brothers...may never know this side of me and it hurts probably more than I can even say.

All that to say...it's really what inspired me to write my little song about this site. I cannot imagine my life without you folks, and I am truly grateful for this place. Thank you...Mille grazie, mi sorella e fratello. Andrea