One of the things that I have noticed about empty closets is that many of us start out needing so much help and encouragement and after a while we find ourselves giving the same back to others! That's one of the big positive parts of EC. As we are helped, we help others. Even when we have gotten past the beginning difficulties, empty closets is still here for us if the road suddenly gets bumpy again. I know that it has worked that way for me. Things have become a little bumpy for me in the last few days and I'm certain that I'll post about it sometime soon after I have worked through it. I've seen some people say that EC helped them and now they are good and don't need it anymore. If that is really true, I'm happy for them. However, I think I'll pretty much always be here on EC. I not only want to pay back the incredible gift of life that the empty closets family gave to me, but I know that I will have "bumpy roads" in the future. I'll want my LGBTQ/Empty Closets Family for support and encouragement when that time comes. A large part of that for me is due to the fact that I am staying with my wife...whom I do love emotional, if not sexually...and basically living the life of a straight man everywhere except with a few very close friends and on this computer. I call it my "Window on the gay world"! So to everyone out there in EC Land...thank you for being you and being here on empty closets. Plus an unexpressibly huge thank you and **HUG** to the staff for making this such a wonderful place, for all the people that you have helped, for making this place available to all of us. If anybody else out there feels like I do...why not reply to this thread with a thank you to anybody here on empty closets who has helped you as you've dealt with your sexuality? Let them know how much their words of encouragement have meant to you, I'll start...Thank you from the bottom of my heart @greatwhale for answering my plea for help on the night of my crisis. Without your words, I might not be here to make this post today. .....David
What a lovely post! I have been on here for ten years although there was a huge gap when I mistakenly believed I might be straight! Of course I'm not! So, back to square one? Not quite. I'm comfortable, now, with acknowledging my homosexuality and, as I see the posts expressing the anxieties of new members, I can reflect on how lucky I am and, perhaps pass some of that luck on to them.
Lovely post and a lovely idea. It feels a bit premature for me to be giving a specific thank you or two, so I’ll just say that I very much appreciate all my EC friends.
David The day i found EC i thought i was about to go crazy, with the feels and emotions i was feeling. Needing help and directions in putting these feelings and emotions in order. With (at the time) no one that i could verbally talk to. I found EC and you David. With the help of you and others here. I was able to not only realize and fully accept that i'm Gay. But move to a new and wonderful life, living and loving as a fully open Gay man. There is no way i could possible thank you and EC enough for being there David. & I'm so sorry your having a rough time David. Please hang in there i'm sure it will get better. Hugs Ron
EC has given me alot of advice. It's been an amazing place for me with my coming out and moving forward. There have been days from hell. But the future is looking brighter. I couldn't have done it on my own. I have had alot of encouragement from people here. I will help others now and in the future......it's part of who I am.....thanks Rade XX
Yes I thoroughly second you David. I am experiencing a serious downturn after being dumped and being told in my hour of need "I'm not proud to be with you and that isn't right" this morning in the small hours. That really really hurts as I've never done anything remotely abominable. Now I need to be on EC more than ever! Partly through EC and partly through my first same sex relationship I have slowly been able to accept that I'm a very loving gay woman even without a lover, with a lot of gentleness to give even though I have my flaws. And although I cannot today see a time when I will be able to open my heart to another I must try to hope that in time I will and that that woman will reciprocate. In the meantime I want to continue to reach out on EC as I have no gay friends in real life with the exception of my ex-girlfriend and I'm not sure I will ever be able to call her a friend after those words. I will keep on trying to give back to others and work on being the woman I want to be.
I haven’t been on EC long but it has been a tremendous help for me. I don’t know what I would do without all my friends and nice individuals. Who have have reached out to me or just told their stories so lm very grateful for this site.
I don't have LGBT friends except for on here, I just recently found EC and I Absolutely love the love and support on here. I could've of ask for a better LGBT family. I wish I knew about the a long time ago I struggle with Myself and depression I didn't have anyone to talk to and was to afriad to look for help when I was younger. I wish we can share this website with more LGBT people so they know they have a family here and their not alone. Thanks you everyone ! Even when you are content and happy with yourself please don't know helping others on here! Please give a life update once in a blue to share your experience ! Thank you all ! Thanks David
I thank you David. You have no idea how much it helps me to talk to you because of our similar situations.
Hi all what a good post David I have been part of ec for a while and I'm glad I found this site . This lgbt family on here help me when I was struggerling with sexuality and this family help me come to terms with being gay and working up the courage to come out to my wife and two girls . I'm still with my family and in a good place right now and that is Down to ec and all you and you David. So Thank you and David I hope you can get through what you are going through big hugs from me Thanks ec
Hey David, great post! Let's chat soon. There are many here who have helped me, including @quebec @greatwhale @Quantumreality @Nickw @OGS and many others. I also have to thank our wonderful admins, especially @Chip and @PatrickUK. It's been over two years since I came out, and I couldn't be happier in my life. I still have a wonderful relationship with my boys, I still get along with my ex, and my boyfriend gets along with all of them. I am living a life I never could have dreamed (or didn't dare to dream).
Good to read your post @quebec and nice to read the responses too. There's a great collective wisdom on this forum to tap into. Although, we are in different places emotionally and geographically, we share a desire for a better and more authentic life that doesn't require us to deny who we are or live in a state of continuing dishonesty. There's a road to journey along before we can arrive at that place and it's certainly not without it's bumps and curves, but like most journey's, it's better shared.
What about LGBT groups, I've gained friends from the ones I've joined...I'm sorry you have had a really bad time, you deserve better and in the future you will meet someone who loves you.... Big hugs Rade xxx
Thanks for this. Yes. My head tells me that I do deserve better, although my heart still lags behind. So many memories and triggers that remind me of the good times with her. One thing that is very hard is that I am immensely physically attracted to her! I could have kissed her forever, so good did that feel.... She did lots of nice things for me too, such as paint me a picture and make me necklaces. We were frequently texting and when apart recently decided we would wear each other's t-shirts in bed so we could feel close. My kids liked her kids. I liked her kids. Ah well.
It sounds like you were both very much in love . Is there no chance you can get back together? If not it's going to take time and i can see it's difficult at the moment . My ex wife and I separated in July and I'm leaving the marital home this coming weekend. I thought it would be easy but emotionally it's the hardest thing I may ever do. We have 3 kids together....so my heart is breaking too...Rade X
The unnecessarily cruel things she said at the end make me feel she didn't really have the respect and trust I need from a partner. And make me doubt that she ever truly loved me. Though my heart and body still have feelings for her, my head says I deserve to be treated better.
Thank you again Quebec You are a great man who has helped and no doubt many others And also big thank you to empty closets
