21st century pen pals.

i have a bunch of friends that i have never met. well, i like to think that we are friends, even though we have never talked to each other.  it’s true, we have never even seen each other (except perhaps a picture or 2.), but we read and write to each other all the time. we live all over the world, in different countries, with different cultures… but are connected by words. i’m not sure if i’ll ever meet these friends of mine;  so, we are, what i would call, 21st century pen pals. we’re blog buddies. almost every day we chat with each other. through messages of support and through writing that inspires. at least that is how i feel. it’s this wonderful give and take sharing of life between complete strangers who are now friends, connected through this cyberspace world where we share our thoughts, pictures, fears, joys, and lives online… through our blogs.

every morning i wake up and check to see which of my blog buddies has left a post on their blog while i was sleeping (lots of time differences). and i check my blog… to see if there are any new comments on whatever i may have written here. comments from family, friends who i know, and friends who i may never meet. i love the feeling of expectation that i have when i log into my account and find that there are comments waiting for me to read. those words of encouragement leave me feeling so connected. i love searching through the blogs that i read (including family members), finding out what’s happened to my dear blog friends in their little corner of the world…

have you ever seen the movie “you’ve got mail?” every morning, every time she comes home from work, every night before bed, kathleen kelley checks her computer and breathlessly waits to hear those wonderful words… “you’ve got mail” from the man with whom she is falling in love:

What will he say today, I wonder.  I turn
	on my computer, I wait impatiently as it
	boots up.
I go on line, and my breath catches in my
	chest until I hear three little words:
	You've got mail.
I hear nothing, not even a sound on the
	streets of New York, just the beat of my
	own heart.  I have mail.  From you.

it’s one of my favorite movies of all times. cheesy, i know. but i can’t help it. and i feel just like kathleen kelley every morning when i wake up. it is amazing to think about the ability to connect with people all over the world who have never met. when i read their blogs or when i read comments on my blog, i am overwhelmed that people can touch each others lives just through the power of words. i think about all my blogging friends. i celebrate with them when they are excited and i feel their sadness when they are lonely, confused, or angry. we do, in fact, share life with one another. it’s a beautiful thing.

well, i’m signing off for tonight, friends & family. posting my post for this day. feeling inspired and touched by these interesting 21st century friendships and my family members who i can keep up with online. i’ve checked everyone’s blog, caught up on their lives, and i’ve realized how much their little comments to me, and to each other, mean to me. so, to all of you bloggers out there, keep the words coming. you all light up my life in your own special way. and thanks for dropping by here from time to time.

goodnight. peace.