Yes, this my 300th post. Hard to believe and usually a cause for celebration in the land of blog. But today I am here to write about loss.
And oddly what I have gained.
It is hard to explain to those who are not part of this world of blogging and Twitter what a true community has been formed through a medium that would seem to be highly impersonal.
I come from a generation where the openness and sharing of this world can be a bit overwhelming. For my age group privacy was cherished above all and there is a thread of paranoia about having one’s life out in the open. This makes the world of the mom blogosphere a bit foreign at times. But this week, once again, I have seen the power of the social web and what it can do for those in need.
I am fortunate to live in a community that takes care of it’s own in times of trouble. I have known this kind of support more than once and I am in awe when I see that sentiment replicated on the internet – amongst strangers!
Beyond comprehension, 2 young babies publicly lost their lives this week.
The first, Maddie Sphor was the 17-month-old daughter of a fellow Silicon Valley Mom Blogger. This darling of the internet whose mom, Heather, chronicled her difficult pregnancy, premie birth and fight to thrive has been followed by many through her blog and twitter. This baby’s infectious smile has haunted us all as we try to accept the tragedy of her sudden death. Within hours funds were set up to help the family with expenses, over $30,000 was raised for March of Dimes and walks in her name were organized.
One by one, twitter avatars turned purple in Maddie’s memory to show support for her family. These past few days those haunting purple avatars have shown me how much I have gained from the experience of the social web.
As if this were not awful enough, just days later Thalon Myers, the 4-month-old son of another momblogger lost his life.
The unthinkable.
And yet from all misery comes good. The legacy of these families will live on as evidence that humanity is not lost.
As proven during the tragic plane crash that almost cost the Nielson’s their lives, and the overwhelming outpouring to find a kidney for The Domestic Diva‘s daughter, the social web shows us once again that we are made up not of nameless faces banging the keyboard.
We are all people. Sometimes acting more human than you could believe possible.
Love, prayers and thoughts to the Spohrs and Myers families. May you find a shred of peace in knowing that the world grieves for your loss.
i could cry but i don't have time 
We are all people, yes. And our worlds have grown to include people we’d never have known, joy and friendship gained, and yes, sadness and realities we would never have known. I share your prayers for the families who grieve.
my husband always loves to break into song when he hears a word that makes him think of it. To my husband “people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world”. My prayers and comort are with them all.
Lovely post Amy. The ability to grow our community of strangers into a community of support and friends is truly a sign of our times. More inclusiveness, more openess, more giving. I grieve for those little lovelies who are lost and those who lost them. And celebrate the the support we can give to one another.
Very well said. The power of this community is amazing.