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12:18 A.M. - Friday, Apr. 14, 2006 I met Alison aliannmil over two years ago on a quit smoking site when I first began my battle to fight 4 my life against this deadly addiction, "smoking." She and many other want-to-be-quitters joined this program to understand the stages of the quit process. There is a chat board that you can scream for help, vent, and tell tales of triumph or cry in defeat. Many quitters began a friendship that surpassed the smokers quit connection. These are cyber friends I wrote about in 2004, September 22nd "Cyber Friends." I have only known Alison through her words on the quit smoking communication board. Soon after I followed the band of quitters to a site set up by a former smoker this is a place to voice after the quit process, we then connected again right here in Diary Land. Her life has been a roller ride of emotional turmoil that one could not help but be inspired by the road she traveled, and the demans conquered. During these last few years I have come to know Alison on a more personal level and had a minds eye view of the person I felt she would be, a voice I heard only on the pages of her entries, her smile that came through humor throughout her writings, a sadness that weaved its way through many of her ponderings. Then her new love that found his way to her heart as she graced many a page of her diary with their journy. A chance meeting came into play when she and the love of her life decided to move from the sunny coast to a northern part of the world; their three day travels brought them close to this mountainous part of the world. After some planning, working around my unpredictable schedule we pulled it off, a 7 am meeting after work for breakfast and awesome conversation. Alison was everything I envisioned, beautiful smile, dancing green eyes and the gift of a very youthful appearance. Her humor was contagious and the conversation refreshing as well as fascinating. I felt as if I was meeting with a friend I had known for life. Much of our lives are similar, paths crisscrossing in so many familiar ways and yet we have only been cyber friends, knowing each other through our expressions. Some say when you quit smoking and move out from behind the smoker's mask you go through a life altering change, like the shedding of an onion skin. You bare your soul during this transition learning to experience life with out blinders on. I agree and while some are unwilling to complete this awesome transformation those that come through are set free as I see it like a butterfly. Freedom to fly and the confidence to do all things you set your heart and mind too, not always easy but possible. Our meeting was one of the most memorable times in my life and an experience I'll not forget. Just people connecting for years on the cyber express that made adjustments so we could meet in the 3D world not even knowing if we would enjoy each others company. A leap of faith with the priceless reward of a deeper friendship plus the bonus of Alison's beautiful smile, a smile I think of every time I pass the little breakfast Mill in town. My hopes are this move will be a new beginning for two totally awesome people that took time out of their travels to stop and chat with me, just a cyber friend, and I am feeling very special. Sandyz
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