Grateful for Hope. We are grateful for having known her.... [View all]

[NRaleighLiberal]

Grateful for Hope - who many of us knew as Ellen. What a great name she chose. It's been hours since greatauntoftriplets shared the news with us of her passing. I feel no better about it. She, like just about all DUers, is someone I've never met, never spoken to. On DU2, we modded together, and it was she, with others of course, who eased me into the job and made me feel welcomed. We modded together for a long time, and shared some terms on MIRT. Mostly, we shared tiny and challenging elements of our lives - just to reach out - struggles each of us had with health and well being of our loved ones over the years. It created a bond, and though the bond lives on in spirit, it is gone in reality; there will be no more MIRT terms together, occasional DU mails, just to say hello, ask how things are.

In my 10 years on DU, I've seen (a few) relatively serene times, and mostly, (often appropriately) turbulent times as our big tent spars and discusses and argues. But in reality, aren't we all here to, in some way, try to ensure a better life for all of us - for everyone - through fair policies, holding politicians' feet to the fire to support those policies which we feel may be lacking, or are needed?

Ellen set a great example for showing passion for her beliefs, but also decency to all she came in contact with (as far as I could tell, anyway - I can't claim of course to have read every post she was involved in). If I take anything from her life, and this most devastating, way-too -young passing, it is to be reminded of what we have in common - life, and principles - and to try to add, not subtract, to dialogue, issues and relationships.

Once, in a Du mail message, she called me a sweet heart. It made my day - I don't remember what I said, but it seemed important to me at the time - and now, it feels even more important - that I could figure out how to touch someone with just words.

I don't even know what all of this is supposed to mean...maybe because our family has suffered loss of our own fairly recently - maybe it is my age, my mood, the music I am listening to. But in 10 years, I've gotten to recognize lots of names here, and some of you have become "internet friends" for lack of a better term. One is now gone....and it is remarkable how much of a hole it leaves.

I know we've lost quite a few members of our community lately - they are all special - it is just that this loss hit me hardest, because our paths crossed most often.