They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole. They were the ones who showed up, who stayed in there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We had many families over time - Our family of origin, the family we created, and the groups we moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers. None of them perfect, and we couldn't expect them to be. You can't make any one person your world. The trick was to take what each could give you and build your world from it.” - Sarah Dessen, Lock and Key
Extended Family on the Internet
My “elder sister" online
English grammar.
She is my personal editor, always ready to point out the spelling and grammar errors I have committed in my shoes as Afrikaans-speaking South African writing articles and fiction in English. And believe me, she doesn't edit like a typical critical editor, but lovingly, like an adorable older sister.
Oh, don’t let me miss this opportunity to brag – my errors are not that bad, but still, only one error blackens the online appearance of a writer – a disastrous embarrassment my online 'sista' will not easily allow.
Maria aka Marcoujor is not as bold as me. Discreteness, self-control, tact and many other virtuous and vestal characteristics are between her and the rest of the world like a sufficient umbrella would be between a human being and the blazing sun. And yes, these characteristics (umbrella) of Mar, are big enough to protect me and all her relatives and friends.
What I am trying to say is that Maria doesn't share many of her private pictures online. If you see five online, they are four too many according to Maria’s altruistic wish to stay behind the curtains while the spotlight shines on everybody else.
But guess what? I have finally succeeded in convincing her to share her most recent pictures. I am so proud of this beautiful online sista of mine, I want the world to know her AND visit her site where she is sharing the wisdom she has obtained since the day she was born on 27 November somewhere in the 1960’s, and most of all her appreciation of life after she being shot six times and left to bleed to death during an extremely traumatic work place incident in 1999.
(click on the button)
on her birthday, 27 November
Saying Happy-Birthday-to-an-Online-Friend