The Blessings of an Online Community

St. Athanasius Academy

This is a very important essay for me to write.

Last Tuesday a.m., my older (and only) sister, had an accident. She was walking and got hit by a van. She still lies in SF General Hospital -- a tube in her nose to supply oxygen to her battered body -- wires and fluids hooked to her to fuel her fight against unconsciousness (a battle she's currently losing) -- a swollen brain slowing the overall testing and prognosis of this woman.

But I don't want to write about that - although if you read this, please send up a prayer for her recovery.

What I want to write about is the blessings of the online community --

When this happened, after I did some praying and some phoning other family members, I got online and asked the Catholic homeschooling community --housed at http://4real.thenetsmith.com/ . This Catholic ommunity of women rose to the challenge with offers of prayers, adoration time and rides for my mother in Napa. These people don't know me except by my presence within this online community; they certainly don't know my mother who never learned to drive or my sister lying in the trauma/icu ward at SF General. But they continue their prayers for my family and the interest in what is happening with my sister.

This is a big deal. This is humainty -- anyone who thinks oline time is worthless: I'd like to have a chat with them!