Hello. I am one of the many listeners at 7CupsOfTea and I'm honored to be among them.

I am fortunate to have a number of good friends with whom I can discuss issues that concern us, be they issues of a personal nature or merely those that interest us and also to get to know one another - and ourselves - in a profound way. These friends I speak of and I have the luxury of time and opportunity to speak face to face informally and on a regular basis. At times, the content of our talk is just lighthearted banter and even good natured teasing. Sometimes we argue passionately to the point where we just have to take a break to recover our composure. Such is that nature of real communication, I think.

While I have no formal training in psychology, I have found that I have been able to provide and receive meaningful, emotional support through these informal sessions. I know I learn a lot by being able to articulate my thoughts and convey my feelings, but especially from hearing the perspectives and approaches of my friends in coping with challenges we all encounter or experience. I know I have gained a lot of that here at 7CupsOfTea, too.

However, no one is available all the time due to time and other constraints. Sometimes, one is just not in the frame of mind to focus on serious issues. My hope in joining this group is to lend an occasional "ear" to someone who needs that sort of interaction. Maybe I can be of help to someone out there and maybe I can grow as a person by interacting with more people.