We live in incredible times. At a moment's notice, we can contact someone not just via phone but by text or Facebook or Twitter. Instead of sending a letter via snail mail, I can type something quickly on Yahoo and send it and get a quick response within hours. And, even though we are miles apart or don't know each other that well, there is a strange sense of community.
Case in point, I am connected to many former high school classmates. It's odd that this is the case because if you knew me, you would know that I hated high school. I went to the same school through 7th grade and then my parents moved to the suburbs and I attended a new school where I knew NOBODY. And, to top it off, I was a fish out of water - I didn't fit the WASPish cookie-cutter mold of my new classmates. It was a very difficult adjustment although my parents and siblings would state otherwise.
I dated someone very dear in high school (just because I didn't fit it, does not mean that I didn't have boyfriends), but his sister and I never seemed to be that close. We were very different and she was more of the social, popular type while I was quiet and bookish. Fast forward 15 years and we connected on Classmates.com. I was worrried that my son might be diagnosed as Autistic, and by searching on the Internet for answers, I came across a post that she wrote. I immediately contacted her via Classmates and she responded back in hours. Since then we have become Facebook friends.
Today, she wrote about losing one of her friends to cancer and it was incredibly sad. Sad not only because she lost a friend, but sad because it reminded me of the time years ago that she lost her (and my boyfriend at the time) dad to cancer. I remember sitting at the foot of his bed - such a great an loving man - and saying good bye. I remember the look of sadness on her face and could feel her heart break. I can only imagine that this is how she felt once again as she sat by her friend's bedside as he passed away.
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