32 minutes ago, drpaladin said:

Restoration of the natural order at GA has been achieved.

I'm a bit weary about what that means? Years ago, we had 'Friends' on our personal pages, I had several hundred listed, upgrade/gone. I could still find them because we still listed all of the 'Non Writer Members' and their pages, upgrade/gone. I understand that without the 'Authors', we would not have a GA site. However, it is getting very lonely and starting to feel as if for a non writing member, the writing may already be on the wall(upgrade?). Notice, I didn't mention the 'Personal Statuses' on all our pages. If cost was a factor, that I could understand. For an outside party doing an upgrade of our site, saying this or that really wasn't necessary or relevant, not so much so.

Regardless, until you guys kick me out, I intend to stay. Ga is my second home.

Restoration comes from the Latin verb restaurare, meaning to repair, rebuild, or return to a former condition.  It combines the prefix re- (meaning back or again) with restaurare, plus the nominal suffix -ation (denoting an action or state).  The word entered English partly through Old French (restoration) and partly as an alteration of the older Middle English form restauracion.   

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the noun restoration was first used in English during the Middle English period (1150-1500), with recorded evidence dating from before 1500.  In the 14-century it was used for healing health, making a cure, or renewing a lost item.  In the 15th-century it was applied to physical repairs of damaged buildings or structures.  in the 16th-century it was expanded to mean the general act of returning something to its original or former state.  During the 17th-century (The Restoration) it was adopted as a proper noun to signify the re-establishment of the English monarchy under King Charles II in 1660.  According to the OED, the word restore was first used in English as a verb before 1325, appearing in the Statutes of the Realm. 

Restoration in storytelling—often shaped through Restorative Narratives—matters because it shifts focus from what is broken to how people and communities rebuild hope and resilience.   

Why Restoration Matters:  
Captures hard truths: These stories do not ignore trauma or difficult realities. Instead, they face the pain while focusing on the path forward.  
Shows meaningful progression: They map the realistic journey from tragedy to recovery, honoring the time and effort healing takes.  
Builds human connection: By highlighting strength over despair, these narratives inspire audiences and prove that resilience is an acquired skill.  
Drives collective action: In environmental and community projects, sharing real stories of recovery mobilizes people and sustains long-term motivation.  

I stayed up until  1:00 p.m. waiting for the Word of the Day to be posted and then gave up and went to sleep - since I'd been up all night).  Then, when I woke up later, my power was out, thus the reason for my late posting.