While people sometimes use the internet to spread hateful messages
about marginalized groups, including people with chronic illnesses, we
want to show that love is more powerful than hate.
The Love Beats Hate blogging event (November 17, 2010) is an opportunity to share the ways
in which you've seen the support of online communities enrich your life
or the lives of others.
Once upon a time...
... there was a little family. There was a Daddy, a Mommy, and 2 little children - a boy and a girl. The Mommy was very sick. She had a medical condition that made her hurt, and it made her tired.
The Daddy tried very hard to make the Mommy feel better. Sometimes he got mad, and sometimes he was sad, but he always tried. The little boy and the little girl couldn't remember a time when their Mommy wasn't sick. They knew she was different, even if they weren't really sure why.
One day, the Mommy went very far away to a doctor, and when she came back she was very quiet.
"What's wrong Mommy? Why are you crying?" said the little girl as she softly placed the palm of one hand on her mother's cheek, and the other under her chin. The mother looked at her little girl's eyes and saw that she was crying too.
"Why do you ask me that, sweetheart?" she replied.
"Because your eyes look wet and your face is so sad."
"I'm sad because the doctor said he couldn't help me anymore, Baby."
"Can I help you Mommy? Can I help make you feel better?"
The Mommy thought about it for a while. She pulled down the corner of the blanket on the bed where she was lying down and said "Climb in here with me so I can hug you, and you can keep me company then."
The Mommy felt the warmth of her daughter's body next to her, and smelled her soft baby scented hair and her sweet little girl breath, and she did feel better.
"I love you Mommy. I love you so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o much. I love the whole wurl-d."
Many years passed, and the little girl grew up. Like her brother, she got sick too. This made the mother very sad. One day the little girl was in her bed with the lights turned off and the mother could hear her softly crying into her pillow.
"Baby, what's wrong?" she said.
"I don't feel well." said the daughter. But the mother already knew. She knew that her son and daughter had the same disease that she had, and knowing that made her feel very, very sad.
"What can I do to make you feel better?" asked the mom.
"Would you come and lay with me for a little bit until I fall asleep?"
The mother crawled under the covers. She held her daughter and softly stroked her face. At first she wanted to cry with sadness, but she didn't. When her almost grown-up girl had fallen asleep, she climbed out of bed and went to the computer in the next room. She sat there a few moments, thinking. She had given up trying to help herself, but she knew she had to find help now that her children were sick too.
The mother was afraid. She didn't know where to begin or who to talk to. She found a group of people with the same disease, and she began to write them. The people in the group were kind and they sent her many virtual ((hugs)). Best of all, the people helped her learn about her disease so she could go to their doctors and fight to get better.
Sometimes the doctors didn't like the mom very much. Sometimes friends and family hurt the mom because they didn't understand. But the mom and the children began to get better.
The mother was so thankful to the people that helped her family, that she decided to help too. She began working in many online communities to help other patients understand and manage their diseases and learn
to work with their doctors to get the very best treatments.
Pretty soon there were many friends the mother could talk to any time she wanted, just by going to her computer. She even got to hug and thank some of them in person. She had lost many friends because of her
disease, but she had found many, many more for the same reason.
One day the almost grown-up little girl hugged her mommy and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thank you for not giving up" she said.
about marginalized groups, including people with chronic illnesses, we
want to show that love is more powerful than hate.
in which you've seen the support of online communities enrich your life
or the lives of others.
Once upon a time...
... there was a little family. There was a Daddy, a Mommy, and 2 little children - a boy and a girl. The Mommy was very sick. She had a medical condition that made her hurt, and it made her tired.
The Daddy tried very hard to make the Mommy feel better. Sometimes he got mad, and sometimes he was sad, but he always tried. The little boy and the little girl couldn't remember a time when their Mommy wasn't sick. They knew she was different, even if they weren't really sure why.
One day, the Mommy went very far away to a doctor, and when she came back she was very quiet.
"What's wrong Mommy? Why are you crying?" said the little girl as she softly placed the palm of one hand on her mother's cheek, and the other under her chin. The mother looked at her little girl's eyes and saw that she was crying too.
"Why do you ask me that, sweetheart?" she replied.
"Because your eyes look wet and your face is so sad."
"I'm sad because the doctor said he couldn't help me anymore, Baby."
"Can I help you Mommy? Can I help make you feel better?"
The Mommy thought about it for a while. She pulled down the corner of the blanket on the bed where she was lying down and said "Climb in here with me so I can hug you, and you can keep me company then."
The Mommy felt the warmth of her daughter's body next to her, and smelled her soft baby scented hair and her sweet little girl breath, and she did feel better.
"I love you Mommy. I love you so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o much. I love the whole wurl-d."
Many years passed, and the little girl grew up. Like her brother, she got sick too. This made the mother very sad. One day the little girl was in her bed with the lights turned off and the mother could hear her softly crying into her pillow.
"Baby, what's wrong?" she said.
"I don't feel well." said the daughter. But the mother already knew. She knew that her son and daughter had the same disease that she had, and knowing that made her feel very, very sad.
"What can I do to make you feel better?" asked the mom.
"Would you come and lay with me for a little bit until I fall asleep?"
The mother crawled under the covers. She held her daughter and softly stroked her face. At first she wanted to cry with sadness, but she didn't. When her almost grown-up girl had fallen asleep, she climbed out of bed and went to the computer in the next room. She sat there a few moments, thinking. She had given up trying to help herself, but she knew she had to find help now that her children were sick too.
The mother was afraid. She didn't know where to begin or who to talk to. She found a group of people with the same disease, and she began to write them. The people in the group were kind and they sent her many virtual ((hugs)). Best of all, the people helped her learn about her disease so she could go to their doctors and fight to get better.
Sometimes the doctors didn't like the mom very much. Sometimes friends and family hurt the mom because they didn't understand. But the mom and the children began to get better.
The mother was so thankful to the people that helped her family, that she decided to help too. She began working in many online communities to help other patients understand and manage their diseases and learn
to work with their doctors to get the very best treatments.
Pretty soon there were many friends the mother could talk to any time she wanted, just by going to her computer. She even got to hug and thank some of them in person. She had lost many friends because of her
disease, but she had found many, many more for the same reason.
One day the almost grown-up little girl hugged her mommy and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thank you for not giving up" she said.
-
Comment by Betsy B on November 17, 2010 at 10:28pm -
Wow, Ellen - very powerful. I love this. :)
-
Comment by Janeen on November 18, 2010 at 9:00am -
Wonderful post Ellen! It brings tears to my eyes. Thanks so much for sharing. You can read my Love Beats Hate post here.
-
Comment by Ellen S on November 18, 2010 at 11:11am -
Thank you guys for responding here. It really does mean a lot to me. I always get a lot of really great Facebook responses too, so I'll try to add them here in a few days. It seems my little story strikes a chord with many....
-
Comment by Winnyninnypoopoo on November 19, 2010 at 12:39pm -
What a sweet story, but also captures what it means to pass on an inherited condition, so a definite sad side. Made me cry, but in a good way!!!
-
Comment by Amy K on November 19, 2010 at 11:02pm -
I didn't get my love beats hate post written, but I am so thankful for voices such as yours...what beautiful story and post. I look forward to reading more of what people have shared.
Thank you for your beautiful heart, Ellen!
1 comment:
Ellen, that is a beautiful story - really touched me! While I am sad that you and your family experience this, I am so thankful that you have become such an advocate and support of thousands of people - and me! Your determination, your caring, you attitude are inspirational and you give so many hope! Thanks!
Post a Comment