I just wanted to offer my appreciation to the members of Booman Tribune for all your support during this time while I mourn the loss of my mother. Your comments and condolences are greatly appreciated. An online community is different in many ways from the ones in which we physically reside, but in the important things, the things that make a group of people part of a something more than just an occasional debating forum, it is the same, if not better, than the neighborhood in which I live.
For nine years, on and off, I have been posting here, thanks to the good graces of Martin. I’ve seen arguments and friendly debates, I’ve read funny stories and sad ones in the comments and diaries. This has been my online home to a great extent, and for me a true community.
About my Mom, I still do not know what to say. I do know she would not want a big deal made about her here, or anywhere, online. She never got much past email (and that pretty infrequently) and cell phones (which she used reluctantly). She was of the generation of people who wrote letters, sent cards, and felt that what she read in a person’s own handwriting was more real, tangible, and better than a mere email or text message.
And perhaps she has a point. The last conversation we had over the phone on her anniversary was sparked by a card I’d sent her, one of those cards that when you open them make a sound or play a song. The one I sent her had a cruise ship theme with a ship’s horn as the sound. When I asked her if she received it, I could feel her eyes light up, and we spent much of the next hour and a half discussing memories of many of the places she’d visited in her life. She loved to travel and loved to talk about her trips afterward, often light-hearted, funny stories. I am grateful that the last time I spoke to her our discussion was filled with laughter.
In any event, I am grateful for all of you here at the Frog Pond. Knowing you have my back during this time means a lot to me.
Thanks, again, for so much.
Steven D
