Let me first say thank you all for welcoming me back after a long and trying 2 years away fighting illnesses for myself and my family. I am always amazed by the spirit of this place and its members. Maybe it's time I stop being so amazed by it because it's just your nature as fellow BOTL & SOTL. I truly love and missed you all very much. A special THANK YOU to Jeff (Tio Gato) for an unexpected generosity and i really feel undeserving of such things but am SO grateful for it.

This past year of 2016 life was not easy for me and my family and my previous threads explain all of it so i won't bore you all with the details again but life has also been good. I am more than certain i wouldn't be here without the love and generosity of my family. They are truly everything to me and give me a reason to keep fighting day after day. My family invited and paid for me to fly out to Colorado to see my brother who i have not seen since 2012. My brother and I are 18 months apart and grew up being best friends to each other. I love my brother very much and would gladly die for him if it ever came to that. I spent a wonderful week there and it was beautiful.

This week I was again invited and paid for to join my family in Fort Myers beach, FL for a small family reunion. It was an amazing week and incredibly beautiful. The weather was PERFECT the entire week and also at the end of this week my cousin and her long time boyfriend decided they wanted to finally get married so after a 12 hour engagement my father who just happens to be an ordained minister married them on the beach at sunset. This wasn't even close to an organized event but beautiful just the same and felt so lucky and blessed to be there and be apart of it for them. I hadn't seen many of my cousins since 2004 for my grandfathers funeral in Virginia so it was very cool and strange to see them all grown with families of their own now. My Grandfather would've been so happy especially with my father presiding over the ceremony.


So, despite all the hardships i still feel very fortunate and blessed by life and go into 2017 with greater hope for a better year. I hope and wish you all a very happy and blessed new year! I hope that this next year i'll be given the chance to see some of you again and meet many of you for the first time. I feel like my life will be starting over after all of this so i'll just ask for your best thoughts and prayers going forwards into the new year as i'll be doing the same for you all. God bless you all!
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It's wonderful to have you back, Jason!!! :-)

Thank You so much for sharing your story. I needed it, and although it was punctuated with hardship, your Faith and positive attitude shone through.
Nobody promised us a rose garden, right?
It's beautiful how the blessings never keep coming no matter how bad it gets.
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Hoping for a great 2017 for you, Jason. Looks like 2016 ended on a great note.
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Looks like a great start for 2017! Welcome back and keep on keepin' on bro :-)
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Wishing you all the best for 2017, Jason.
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Wishing you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year! Jason grab happiness by the horns and give illness a swift:-)
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Jason, Glad you are still around. I always take solace in the belief God will never test us with anything greater than what we can handle. Add a few friends like I have found on here and that task becomes much easier to bear.

A safe an prosperous new year to you and your family sir. Looks like things are on the upswing for you.
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Jason, glad things are going better for you. God's blessings for your 2017!

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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