Marie,
Yes, this is extremely common... and it's also very normal for you to miss seeing them. And many people come back, either to check in and say "I'M STILL SMOKE FREE!!!" or to say, "I'm trying again!" Others may be embarrassed that they went back to smoking and then come here and change their names so nobody will know who they are. That actually happens more often than you think. So just because you're not seeing somebody you care about, doesn't mean that they aren't here posting and still quitting... they just might be doing it under a different name.
It's normal for you to miss people who leave, but that's the nature of this site. People come and go as they need to, and many who were unsuccessful on their first tries come back to try again... so remember those names of the people you cared about early in your quit... you may very well see them again, hopefully very soon!
And then there are those of us who NEVER leave... even if you want us to! :p
Crave the Quit!
Pam
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 469
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 11,741
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1936.97
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 33 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 19 [B]Seconds:[/B] 42