“May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.
May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love…It is there for each and every one of us.’”
That was sent to me in June of 2009, by a blog follower. We had never met, but she often commented when a blog post would hit her in just the right way. We were separated by many countries and an ocean but somehow we connected and became friends. She always had an encouraging word for me, especially when times were tough.
A few months ago, when I started blogging about my health issues and not being able to find a source, she commented about her own issues, she had just been diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. Her symptoms matched mine in several ways and she urged me to push with my doctors to get a diagnosis of some sort. All while fighting her own battle with the big C.
I started following her facebook page, loving the fact she posted pictures almost daily of herself, in various states of medical healing. A few of them she looked a bit worse for the wear, but always… ALWAYS she was smiling. ALWAYS, ALWAYS having an encouraging word for her followers.
As you can tell by my use of “was” and “had” my long distance friend passed away. Before her death she was put in a medically induced coma to alleviate her pain, and she passed the day after her son’s birthday. She left behind a husband, and two children under the age of 13, one boy, one girl.
I’ve heard people say that “online” friends can’t really develop a friendship, that you can’t honestly get to know one another through a cyber friendship. They are wrong. I have been part of a group of ladies, we all met online about 12-13 years ago. We communicate daily, and we all know things about each other that I’m sure our “real life” friends don’t have a clue about. We exchange pictures, cards, and well wishes, and more importantly, we pray for each other. They are my support group. When things are tough, one of them will reach out and say HEY how’s it going?
And one of my closest friends, I have never met, and we only speak a few times a year on the phone, but I know that when I need a good rousing conversation filled with poop and laughter she is there. She has a 6th sense sort of thing and has this habit of calling when I need a friend. I would call it spooky, but I know its not, its Godly. He whispers in her ear and says “give her a call” and she follows.
So while I never actually met my friend from Belgium, I do mourn her passing. I will miss her smiling face, and her encouraging words.
May you rest in peace my friend.
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oh angi… i am so sorry.
Thank you.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry. I know I’d be devastated if I lost one of my online friends. Sometimes I think you connect on an even deeper level online. Because physical contact is impossible, you make a connection on a purely intellectual basis using your words and your thoughts to define yourself. And when you lose a person you’ve had a friendship like that with, you lose the shining potential to actually meet in person and that can hurt deeply. So again, my condolences.
Jill, Thank you.
Lady Z I totally agree, I know I feel more connected and “safe” with some of my online friends than I ever could with real life see you every day friends. Hiding behind this computer screen actually helps me be more open and honest about things. I know that if I’m an idiot about something, ya’ll will tell me, and I’ve never felt any sort of judgement from ya’ll! And like you said, even though I know I would never have met Catherine in real life, the possibility was there, and now that will never be.