I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I have some relatives who are stangers to me. So why not a stranger who feels like a family member?
Family to me has always meant people who care about each other. ALH2 members feel more like family than some of my real world family. Friendly greetings when you first arrive online and wishes of sweet dreams when I turn in for the night. Emails when I'm not on in a few days and concern when I'm down and blue. We've bumped, fell off pager, cried and mourned together. If I needed something or was in trouble, I know all I'd have to do was ask, and help is only a click away.
Family doesn't mean you have to be blood related to care for someone. I think the ALH2 community proves that. It also goes one step further in the fact that most of us never even saw each other until Hansonfest. Meeting everyone was like meeting old friends I haven't seen in a while. The picnic in the park was like a family reunion, catching up on old times with relatives, and making new memories for all of us to cherish. This has truly been a wonderful everlasting experience for all who attended.Of course the center of this family reunion was Hanson. People sharing their stories of how they met ITZ backstage, scrapbooks, T-shirts (who had the best ITZ T-shirt??). It was truly Hansonfest. The children singing Kareoke in the conference room, harmonizing with ITZ on the drive to PKI, it was truly an adventure we all will remember. Just to be with people who truly love Hanson was a treat for me and my children. With Hansonfest '99 added to the ALH2 family scrapbook, itz on to Hansonfest 2000!
