So sorry to hear about your dad! :( I hope he recovers from the car crash.

The VIVA thing was actually going well for almost a year. I personally profited and cashed out more than I lost. I believe in taking some profits when they are there. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Any crypto project is risky and there is probably a 95% chance of losing money for any number of reasons. I know many people did lose some money in VIVA and other projects, and although I was a proponent of VIVA, I did mention in my tweets periodically what should go without saying - never invest more than you can afford to lose.

We're here on Steemit to make some money even if we think it's not our main reason. It does look like it is many people's main reason to be here, as you noticed when you say people leave in bear markets. I'm still here everyday and I would stay without the money, just to keep in touch with the cool people like you that I met here. I do admit I'd probably spend less time here though, if this were just another everyday run of the mill social network. But this is an economic and sociological experiment that I find fascinating! :)

I still miss Laura after about a year, and I miss Steven very much already. We are a close knit group here and we've been through ups and downs together. These are the ties that bind.