The past few weeks have been a roller coaster. My sweet baby girl had surgery. My head and heart are all over the board, but one thing I keep coming back to is the incredible support I’ve received from family, friends and complete strangers. I’ve found encouragement from all of the usual places, and because of the amazing technological platforms that exist today, from people I’ve never met before.
They’ve poured out their hearts and souls in support of my family. They’ve answered countless questions. They’ve checked up and checked in. So, in spite of the emotional upheaval that we’re going through as a family and even with all of the negativity that exists today, there is good. I know there are studies that say internet connections aren’t real connections and that we don’t receive the same level of support from online interactions, but I’m here to tell you I don’t buy it.
As the comments and sweet words flooded in, it was as if I could feel the love from hundreds of miles away pour into my weary heart. It made me so thankful to live in a time in which we are so connected. Despite all of the evil that exists today, there is good. There is good in the way we love one another. There is good in the way we take time out of our busy lives to let someone know we’re thinking of them. This, my friends, is exactly what the world needs. We need more building up, and less tearing down.
Some may want to throw the whole platform away, because the trolls drag it into the muck. However, where would we be without this new found collective consciousness we have in our online communities?
If my grandmother had needed to take her baby in for surgery, she would not have been able to turn to an online community of people who had walked the path before her. She would not have received support from friends around the globe who offered their love and thoughts as she navigated the experience.
I am so grateful that I have these resources available to me and that those I love can gather around in a way that previously did not exist. So, I urge you, instead of just scrolling on by, offer your words of support, love and encouragement to those you are connected to, both online and in real life. It goes a long way…trust me.
City Girl Gone Rural 