I have only been a member for a few months and already feel "like family". I have already made some very dear friends on this forum. Some I have met and others I haven't but that doesn't matter. You can get a pretty good idea of people's character in the way they write and this group is unbelievable. There are so many wonderful caring people that goes way beyond the activity of quilting. M* is what brought us together initially because of our common interest in quilting but then the supportive environment of the forum goes way beyond quilting.

It is funny because I did my masters education via an online university and the same type of dynamic developed. Of course our groups were much smaller but it became a family group and we protected each other and helped each other. Of course there are always some members of your family who frustrate you from time to time and this online environment is no different.

There is also an element of trust involved in revealing some personal information as we hear about so many on line scams and so you always have your antennae alert. I ventured off thousands of miles away from home alone to meet up with a group of people I did not know for the fall Retreat and was not really very worried about this not turning out perfectly ok. It was such a wonderful event and the people were even better than you could imagine. It was like we all knew each other and by the end of 5 days we really felt like family.

Quilters are givers and for many this is a safe place to share things or vent stuff that you cannot say to other people. With so many members, there is always someone on line or someone who can share similar experiences or provide advice.
I cannot even begin to explain how much the association with the M* and the forum has meant to me over the last few months.