Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful we live in a connected world. So many times we talk about how "disconnected" our society has become, and it's true. There can be so little true face to face time with people, but in this disconnected society there can come a moment when people are suddenly connected again. You have to remember, there is a real live person on the other side of the phone, email, blog or facebook profile picture.

Sure, it can be a way to have meaningless connections with people you once knew...a way to "keep in touch" with someone you probably wouldn't put the effort into keeping in touch with otherwise. I'm guilty of these things as well. However, on a daily basis I use technology to connect with friends and family that I would otherwise have intermittent communication with. They might call or stop by and catch me in the middle of an awful mess and not know the joy I have in my day to day as a mom...or they might stop by in the midst of a wonderful day and not know that sometimes my house really is a mess or I forget to make dinner or love my family the way I should. Sometimes with technology we're comfortable enough to take our gloves off and show ourselves for who we really are.

Sometimes, technology can join us together in a way that nothing else could.

Twice this week technology has proven itself to me as not a way to disconnect our society, but a way to bring us together. Twice this week I've seen a community of people band together for the common good and reach out to that "real person" on the other side of the profile picture. 

Twice this week a status update has brought my day to a stand still. A stand still that made me choke back tears and spend my late nights nursing my baby girl, hold her a bit tighter and pray, pleading for mercy from our Heavenly Father. 

I'm so thankful that while I can't hug my friends and family far away I can know they're there and share in their daily tasks. Sure...it can be disconnected...or you can just say that the "village" we're living in has changed a bit. 

I'm thankful that even though I'm far away from so many people I love...they're still right here with me living in my "village".