To say the last year was filled with pain for people around me would be a gross understatement...it was downright devastating. Death of children, death of friends, wrecks, sicknesses, marital problems, painful secrets revealed...all enough for you to both wonder why and pause for serious reflection.
When things happen that steal your breath away, you feel the need to either pull away or react. Thankfully, for my friends...most people have chosen to react...with love and support.
In early May, the Chapmans lost an angel. Last week many of us lost a friend.
In both cases...way too early. In both cases...amazing outpouring of emotions from all around.
The day the Chapmans lost Maria...a digital tsunami poured over them. Around the world...the hurt, the empathizing, the strong and weak came to share words that just couldn't heal...but that didn't stop them. They came to the blogs of StevenCurtisChapman.com to connect and lift up. Had this happened a year earlier, this "vehicle" didn't exist for them...but it did happen when there was a serious need.
Now, their blogs have always been successful. Steven with his crazy videos, Mary Beth with her insight and Jim with his news and perspective. But on that day...they turned into the needed pipeline. Get this...their blogs have over 20 MILLION pageviews over the first year. On the Memory of Maria blog alone had over 26,000 comments on 3 posts...and Jim Houser's steady flow of information has accounted for almost half of all page views. Think about this...these series of blogs have accounted for as many views as population of Australia. People who have lost, people who are inspired, people who want to lift up...people grateful to a family who has given us all so much. People want and need to connect...it is so humbling to see what good can come from people when they see others in need.
The other blog of focus is CaringBridge.com. In December of '07 I got a call from David Lipscomb about becoming a client of the Den with the band The Afters. After our first month of working together, David found out the stomach sickness he felt on a vacation was more serious than he thought. Pancreatic Cancer....the bad stuff. At this point, his wife Robi began to update us on the progress and retreats of his treatment. He found out early and went in to get treated....things were touch and go for a long time...but he seemed to be back on the right track during his son's wedding. It seemed like it was in the rear view mirror...but it wasn't. It came back far worse...and the end came way too soon. The connection was his dear wife Robi who updated regularly with great candor about how this affected them. At the end, I couldn't even read it. Gut wrenching...but she allowed us in to connect. In retrospect, her optimism and hope blow me away...humbled yet again. I hope she converts this journey into a book...it will touch you.
So, the digital age has given us something we never had before...instant connection and discussion. This base-level underpinning of code that allows everyone and anyone to participate. So, the blog's invention wasn't a far stretch for where the internet was or where it was going. It was an inevitability of coming to it popular fruition ...but a small shout out to the father of blogs, Les Earnest...and those who built upon it.
Thanks for reading...now, go have a "non-digital" connection with a loved one ...a hug and a kiss should suffice...and tell them how much you love them.
Dale
