05 Jan 10 In grief, I am grateful

My sister Lesley died yesterday.  She was the baby of the four of us and the mother of our five-year-old niece, Sarah.  She went to the doctor last Wednesday feeling short of breath, which turned out to be the first sign of an infection that got into her bloodstream, which her body couldn’t fight off.  I hurt more than I ever have.

In the darkness of our family’s grief, the darkness of what the future holds, I am grateful for many things.  I am grateful that Lesley’s Facebook page helped me to find her friends.  I am so grateful for all the messages of support, compassion and empathy that I am getting on my Facebook page and in emails.  Technology is helping us connect when we most need it.

Though it is hard to even write about it, I am grateful that my parents were able to use the Internet to find pictures to show Sarah what an intensive care unit looks like, so that she might not be overwhelmed when she saw her mommy for the last time.

In the midst of all of this, I am talking to a social media company about joining them as a product manager.  Although it is a hard time, I’m realizing that more than ever, that’s what I want to do, to be part of a community of people who are committed to using technology to build and nurture communities.