IN the past four years or more, I have developed a group of friends I have never met. When I have no one to talk to, or if I am bored, I will hop online and talk to these people. Most of the time I can catch one or two and catch up with their lives. There’s a group of us, who are all friends with each other though almost none of us has met. Last summer we had a fantastic meet-up planned and the week prior to said meet-up it all fell apart and we never did meet face-to-face.
But still, daily, we talk. I have read many studies that say internet relationships (and I don’t mean romantic) can be unhealthy because you are losing out on true human emotion and reaction. While I don’t want to ever rely solely on the net for companionship, I am sure as hell not going to deny these people whom I consider awesome.
After our plans fell through, my friends and I still talked. And, I know someday, we will still all meet. But today we tragically lost a member of our ‘group’. I was sitting in a parking lot scanning through my facebook notices on my phone when I read the awful news. Dan H.’s wife, Michelle, passed away this morning. I burst into tears. While I don’t know her personally, what I have heard of her is wonderful. Anytime anyone has mentioned Dan or Michelle they cannot help but proclaim, “They are SO NICE!” I was so looking forward to meeting them, especially Michelle. And my heart hurts because that will never happen.
My deepest sympathies go out to Dan today. He always spoke highly of his wife and I admire that in a man more than anything. And when I was thinking about his ever kind words about her, I think about the words the others in our group use to speak about their wives/husbands and girl/boyfriends. It’s always good. Sure, everyone has troubles, and everyone has hard times with the ones they hang onto ’til death do they part. But it seems I only hear positivity when it comes to these people and their relationships, and it is something I admire. And furthermore, it makes me want to know these people better.
I don’t know how to end this, I just wish for peace for you, Dan.
The Pilver 
Amen. Thanks for writing this, I couldn’t agree more. The worst part about being friends the way we are is being so far away and feeling helpless to be able to do anything when bad things happen.
Sorry. I’m sad to hear this. Sounds like she was really great!
That is terrible, especially around this time of the year.. Please send my condolences to him.
Thanks for putting this KB. Michelle really was a wonderful, funny, kind and amazing woman. She put up with whatever crap Dan, Deej and I were talking about, and then adding her own contribution to the randomness, as well as always having a supportive word whenever we chatted with each other.
I got to speak to her last week while she was in the hospital for a little over an hour and half, and during that time we’d covered everything from hospital escape routes, doctors and their tube overuse and making a bin full of smurf juice. Despite everything going on, she kept happy and positive, and that’s just her way.
Michelle really was just a beautiful person to know.