Womens-Place is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month. It seems absolutely amazing that one full year has passed since Womens-Place first opened its doors and began to welcome women from all over the world. While on the outset, Womens-Place seems like another website geared towards women and what interests them. Although, that is correct, as you begin to read past the front page filled with interesting articles and shopping ideas, you find the message boards and the members. This is where you find the heart of Womens-Place, women involved in active conversations, debates, exchanges of ideas and friendships. It is definitely the women here that make Womens-Place what it is today, and so much, much more than "just a website."

As we began the preparation for the anniversary issue of our front page, I began to think about what Womens-Place means to me personally. I echo the sentiment of so many of our members, that a huge part of why I come here each day is the people and the friendships I have developed. When I first started posting with these women, I had only a few close friends in my life. I had many acquaintances and my husband was, and is, my very best friend, but I did not necessarily understand the full value of "girlfriends". I preferred to keep more to myself, staying private and sometimes even a little aloof, if it meant having to reveal my inner self to others. The last couple of years with many of these gals, I have learned to unlock my heart and allow myself to let the love of others come in. I have made many long time friendships from the boards, but I have also been able to connect with many friends in real life. Learning to share with others personally on the boards has transferred into my daily life, and my heart feels fuller than it ever has before.

I asked some of the members of Womens-Place to share what this place means to them. Here are there very thoughtful and insightful answers…

JB Atkinson ~ I LOVE WP!!! Well, being best buds with the owners helps too!!! No really, I am SO proud of Tim and Chelle for all they have done to make this website. I came lurking on here around the time they adopted Grace, so that I could let everyone know about the baby shower, but then I got hooked! I have been posting on here almost everyday since then. What an amazing community of women, a support group for shared issues. It is AWESOME!!!!

Host Deef ~ Let's see ... WP means friendships and being able to talk about problems and seeking out answers. I've made so many friends here and just can't imagine not being able to talk to them again. I've had so many questions answered. From being anxious when the doctor heard an "extra" sound in my daughter's heart and being comforted, to talking about some solutions to finding some "dating" time for my husband and I!!!

Chris S ~ I don't have many "in real life" friends that I hang out with, especially having just moved to a new state. But I honestly feel like the women I am friends with on these boards are true friends. I feel like I sit around the table and chat with them every day, even though we are divided by cyber-space. I would love to meet everyone some day! I used to love the Mom’s Online site, and was saddened when it folded. The dedication that Chelle and Tim have shown in making this site so wonderful and permanent is amazing! And of course all you ladies who volunteer your time and talents to be hosts is great too!

Kympossible ~ I've been thinking on this since I first read the question and have been trying to figure out how to describe what WP means to me. First of all, I LOVE this place. It is a safe place for me to meet anytime with some of the dearest friends I have, most of whom I have never seen face to face! Some of the women I post with here, I have known them for years, and we've tried to keep track of each other as various message boards shut down or were moved around. Personally, I am SOOOOOOOOO thankful that Chelle and Tim felt led to start this site up - we no longer need to worry about where we'll go next! I think particularly for at-home moms (I know there's a bunch of us that post here), a place like this can be a lifeline on those days!

Tracy L ~ It's hard for me to put into words what WP means to me. I have made so many friends through this site, and I look forward to every minute I get on my computer to check up on all of my buddies. I have also received a wealth of support and knowledge from other moms. I have a speech delayed (almost 5 yr. old) son. All of the moms on our board have given me great tips and let me know about services I could be getting for my son. I also love being there for all of my friends on all of my boards. We lean on each other, so to speak. I come here to laugh and cry; I come here to vent about day-to-day things; I come here to brag about my son. I appreciate that when I'm gone for a few days and don't get to post, I'm remembered by someone.

Ginger B ~ When I first heard of WP, I thought to myself, "What, ANOTHER board that I have to check in on?" But then as World Crossing came crashing down, WP was a lifeline, a way to stay in touch with a group of women that have come to mean the world to me. (Hi April Moms 2001!!) I must admit, it took a little getting used to, and at first I was resistant to it. But, within a short amount of time I learned how to find my way around, and the best part, the board was NEVER down!!! Yay! Now I absolutely love the format, the navigation, and especially the people here. I see it as my cozy little corner of cyber space where I can connect with other moms who have "been there-done that" and can give me a shoulder to cry on when I need one, or a good laugh. We hold each other up, help each other in our commitments to lose weight, keep our house clean, save money, raise our kids, etc, etc, etc!! I can never really thank you enough, Tim and Chelle, (not to mention all of you hosts), for working so hard and keeping this board up and running! Thank you!!!

Scoobydoo ~ Women's Place means a great deal to me, especially the dear friends I have here, many of whom I have been friends with since the early days of Mom’s Online - nearly a decade ago. (Can it be????) We have bounced around together between Mom’s Online and Parent Station and World Crossing, and maybe a few other addresses, and it has been so wonderful to have a home here at Women's Place. It feels cozier, friendlier and safer than any of those other places did, and for that I am so grateful. I don't always have a lot of time to post here, but when I do I am always so refreshed. Women here make me laugh, smile, cry, think, feel, and pray. Posts here make me agree, disagree, challenge me and inspire me. Thank you to Chelle and Tim, and all that have invested the blood, sweat and tears to make this happen. For the future, my hope would be for even more of the above, more diversity in points of view, race, and ethnicity of participants, but with the continued camaraderie and respect that is here now.

Cheri A ~ I also love WP! I first joined with Mom’s Online and am so appreciative of Tim and Chelle and their commitment. I love being able to get an "outside" point of view on issues that we have with the kids or life that I don't necessarily get from my “in real life” friends. I just wish everyone would be on one site so I didn't have to go to several sites. It's nice to get a cyber hug on a bad day and to celebrate when things are going well. I also enjoy the monthly reads and stuff on the home page. Thanks to the hosts and to Tim and Chelle.

Larisa S ~ My group of December 1998 mommies has been bumped from about 4 different bulletin boards. It's nice to have a home again. I'm grateful for the other areas of interest- adoption, games, TV addicts, and Christian fellowship. Thanks so much for caring about us online family members. It's nice to be {hugged}.

Host Julie ~ Womens-Place has been a truly wonderful home for me since I was asked to join and host here. I honestly cannot imagine my life without it. I have been posting with my April 2001 group since August 2000, but had not branched out. After joining here, I have not only found a new home for my main group, but I have met and joined many other groups here as well. It is amazing to know you have a group of shoulders waiting for you at any given moment. I am grateful for my friends--old and new--for the support, laughs, cries and friendship they provide and share with me. And, mostly, for Tim, Chelle and Elfie for creating this amazing place for us to be safe forever!

GforU ~ Another adoptive mom I met at a workshop told me about this site and I joined soon after it started. I had been looking for a place just like this and was frustrated with the rude, immature behavior on other sites. I love the fact that we can be so diverse, have different views, lifestyles, faiths, families, etc., and still care about each other, help each other, laugh, cry, share with and support each other. I have learned so much from the collective wisdom of all the amazing women here, and I am very grateful to Chelle and Tim and all the hosts for the dedication, hard work and love that go into this site. I believe that living and loving in community with one another is the only way to truly improve the world. It is an amazing use of technology that we have built a loving and very much ALIVE community with one another in this way. Thank you.

Mommy2Girls ~ I am so grateful to Tim and Chelle for all of their hard work in developing this wonderful home for all of us!! There isn't a day that goes by I don't think about my cyber friends and the things that are going on in their lives!! Some of them I met on Mom’s Online and, thanks to WP, have managed to stay in touch with them! When something happens in my life, whether it be big or small, I just can't wait to get online to tell my friends!!! Whether it's a hug, congratulations, or a shoulder to cry on, I know I'll find that here at Womens-Place!!! Thank you Chelle and Tim for creating this site and doing such an awesome job at keeping it up and running!! And thank you to all of the hosts who volunteer their time to keep things moving as well!!

Kristin Reid ~ It is hard to express how much WP means to me. I have made so many wonderful friends here and they have all been with me through some of the hardest times in my life, and the most wonderful times. I know many of you from all the way back in the Mom’s Online days, Oxygen, World Crossing, and now here. It was so wonderful of Chelle and Tim to give us a new home. They have put endless hours of work, care and love into this place and it shows. The support, encouragement and caring that is given here is priceless. It is so nice to know if I have had a rough day, or I have a question about something, or just need some kind words and encouragement, I can come here. And in turn, I can help others.

Lamplighter777 ~ I really resisted coming over here. I had gotten so close to a particular group of women over the past several years, but we had certainly done our share of chasing down a stable platform to meet upon. Sometimes it was so stressful that I wanted to throw up my hands and just forget it all. I couldn't, though. This group of women has become so dear to me that I did not want to give them up at all. So I braved yet one more site change, and struggled to get used to yet one more user interface. I have fallen in love with this site in the process. Chelle and Tim and Elfie, you have done an incredible job of offering us a safe place, not just for continuing existing relationships, but also for creating new ones. I appreciate your dedication and faith so much, and I know that we are here to stay. I think WP is really unique in that it offers a little bit of everything in one place. Child-rearing, crafting, sports, politics, religion, games, women's interests, health, adoption, finance, organization... I know that if I need something that isn't already offered, all I have to do is ask. You guys are awesome! Thank you for WP, and I can't wait to join in on the celebration next month! Woo Hoo!!!!!

Host Chrisann ~ Well, WP is just a site. A site that was created by a couple of AWESOME people who couldn’t bear to lose one more friendship, and who couldn’t bear to see one more woman in pain, due to losing contact. People, who wanted to see friendships that were already strong, become stronger and still allow for new friendships to be made. It’s just a site that provides entertainment, contentment and solace, a place to open your hearts AND minds. It is just a place for ANY woman to find strength when she feels she has none, just a place to offer support to those who are waning. Just a place to feel, a place to be... WP is not just a place; it is a place for ME. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Chelle, Tim and Secret Elf. They have poured their hearts and souls in this "site" and have honestly devoted their lives to making it our home. There is no greater gift to give than a part of yourself.

Mom to Alanna ~ Honestly, I don’t know if I would have gotten through some tough days without the women on these boards. They are all supportive, sympathetic, wonderful moms and women, who don’t hesitate to pass along their knowledge and experiences to those in need at any given moment. I feel like I have known these women forever (and some I have). I have come on here and said things I wouldn’t be able to say to some of my closest friends, and I never worry about being judged for it. It has truly become part of my heart and my life, and I am forever grateful to all that have dedicated their time and energy and money (Tim & Chelle & Hosts) to make this happen for everyone!!! Happy 1st anniversary and here is to MANY, MANY more years of love, support & friendship!!!

Amy99 ~ WP is a safe haven that I can come to and let it all out. There are many times when just typing a problem out can bring new light. The nice twist to it is there are so many others on the other side, offering help and advice that I really couldn't find “in real life.” This is the fourth message board that I have been on and by far the best. There are so many forums to choose from, and like others have said, I have gone beyond the one board I have been close to for over three years. Big THANKS again and again to Chelle and Tim. All the wonderful hosts also play such a role in the day-to-day process.

I have read these responses many times and each time I am incredibly touched by all that a group of women can do when brought together in cyber-space. I thought it was very fitting to close this article with some words from Chelle.

"Womens-Place would not be here, if it were not for all of YOU! Yes, we created the site, but you ladies are what make this site special. You ladies are an amazing force of light through the dark times in life. You are an inspiration to many who have lost hope. You are all unique, individual women who have a common bond, that common bond is STRENGTH & BEAUTY. Thank you for making Womens-Place a home. It means the world to me that you trust and believe in us!" Blessings, Chelle



~Lynette is a wife and stay-at-home mom of three children from the Pacific Northwest. She believes whole-heartedly in the strength and value in gathering women together in one place, whether that place be in your own home or in the miraculousness of cyber-space.