I receive a lot of eMails in response to my posts, all of which I appreciate. I wonder if some of these eMails should not be posted as comments for all to appreciate. The nature of most of them is not very private and could easily be shared.
Blogs are an interesting tool. They have unexpected side effects. My sister called me apologising for not doing so earlier. The blog, it turns out, keeps her so up to date providing almost a private conversation with me, that she had forgottten when the last was time was that she had called.
A large number of our friends are now keeping up to date through the blog which has reduced the number of phone calls. And therefore the number of times you have to repeat the same story. And also the unfortunate number of times you have to hang up on people because you are tired.
My friend Nancy made reference to my cancer on Facebook providing a link. She also Twittered the information. I am impressed she has a Twitter following. I have obviously gone very public with my cancer, and yet found its mention on Facebook a bit disquieting. I am still not sure why that is. Maybe the naked and cold exposure of information that disappears as soon as it appears. I really have not discovered what my reticence is with Facebook. Nancy removed the Facebook reference, but could not un-Twitter her entry.
I received an eMail, via Nancy, from one of her Twitter followers. This person had an aunt that had cancer. I am not clear as to whether the aunt is still alive or not. Rather than share her experiences with the family, the aunt chose to isolate herself maintaining her privacy. This young lady wrote to say that this blog provided her with the first opportunity to understand what emotions were racing through her aunt.
This is a side effect of the blog that is totally unexpected. I would never have thought, in my wildest dreams that it would help a third party.
And so, we come back to the comments. I do get a lot of comments (and some spam). I get to approve the comments before they appear and have the power to remove the ones I do not like. So far, none have been removed. I encourage you all to start adding to the comments, respond to the ones that are here already and maybe start a small conversation of sorts.
So … no “comments” about “Comments”? I find myself catching up on the blog in spurts, and wish that I could do better during the work week. For what its worth, I believe that your story is of univeral value. It provokes ALL of us to consider / empathize / sympathize and to be allowed to “touch” you and Janet in a way that rarely EVER happens under “normal” circumstances. In a perverse way, I’m not so unhappy that you’ve had trouble sleeping – as you’re writing instead. Before my sister drives down to New Hampshire to give me a sound beating, please DO sleep. I’ll get over it!
Farokh,
I wish I could have posted sooner.
As I said in my email, you have provided a source of understanding toward what my aunt went through–a “thank you” is not enough. You are providing light to what was once I difficult situation to understand. Your spirit is contagious through your writing and I’m sure you have affected more people than you’ll ever know.
My aunt is doing very well, cancer free for almost five years now.
Thank you for doing this.
Think of you often.