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WHOOP! WHOOP!
I'm determined to finish that challenge from way back in March, so, ahem, I now present to you the JUNE CHALLENGE! I'm on day 27, lucky you. We're close to being finished.
Day 27 wants me to tell you about three online friends whom I have never met. I'm not big on online friendships. At least, I didn't think I was until I considered this question. Last year, when I weeded out my facebook friends - who were only people I know in real life - I had a few rules. 1. The ones I kept were family. 2. Or friends whom I interacted with through facebook on a regular basis. If there was no regular interaction, they were weeded out - not because I didn't like them, but because there was no reason for me to keep them as a name on a list. That's when I realized something that surprised me: I did have a few "online friends" in my facebook list whom I had never met. Somehow, my online vs. real life lines have blurred.
So, who have I never met but feel like I have? Let me tell you.
1. Tiffany from In Pursuit. I've told this story before on my blog, but way back in 2006 or 2007 when I was still new at blogging, I clicked the "next" button at the top of my page. It took me to someone else's blog. I read a few posts, and then clicked "next" again. Several blogs later, I ran into Tiffany's and enjoyed what she had to say. Back then her blog had a different name. In fact, she's been through a few names and genres. When I first "met" her, she was single and hoping to start college. Now she is married and a model/professional photographer among other revenue enhancersThe Farmbell which hooks up local food growers and raisers to local consumers. (Which I am totally thrilled over. I can't wait for his site to grow big enough that it affects MY area!) Through it all, Tiff's heart to follow God in her everyday life shone and enticed me. I don't remember this, but at some point, I must have been brave enough to stop stalking and start commenting, and she began reading and commenting back on my posts. One thing led to another. We emailed each other through some difficult times. We prayed for each other through ups and downs. I feel like I have met her. She even mailed me a present from her Etsy shop (back when she had an Etsy shop) just because I seemed down. See? That's the kind of friend she is.
. She and her husband, Mike, have bought and renovated their own home, and Mike has recently started a website called
2. Donette from Our Corner of the World who rarely posts anymore, but I still love her! I'm trying to remember how we "met." I'm pretty sure it was through the blog posts of a girl named Callie who went to the same college I did. I then started reading Gretchen's blog, because Gretchen commented on Callie's blog, and then I read Donette's because Donette commented on Gretchen's. Did you follow all that? Because it might not have been like that at all. I don't remember. I no longer read either Callie or Gretchen, but somehow, Donette and I became friends. We went through some similar life experiences around the same times (switching over to more natural food, baby experiences, family things, and right now a desire to garden/landscape combined with a serious lack of knowledge), and we enjoy similar thought patterns. Just like with Tiff, Donette and I have emailed and prayed for each other quite a bit, and somehow we became facebook friends. I really don't know how that happened because we are both very careful about letting "strangers" into our lives, but I sure am glad. She'd be hard to stay in touch with otherwise! :-)
3. Beth from Beth's By Grace. Let's see. Beth and I "met" in quite an interesting fashion. My parents were very good friends (in real life) of a couple named Roger and Sheryl when I was a child. We spent quite a few evenings at each others' houses, and I played with their children. After a few years, our families moved to different states but always kept a warm spot in our hearts for each other. Our lovely Sheryl has since gone home to Heaven, and Roger married Beth. Now, you all know how facebook is. It suggested a few years ago that I become friends with someone named Roger, and when I followed the link I discovered it was our old family friend! Hooray! Roger and I did friend each other on facebook, and that's how I began communicating with his wife Beth. Well. Beth and I, our hearts beat the same, you know? We laugh at the same things. We cry at the same things. We pray at the same things. We're kindred spirits with the same extremely quirky sense of humor (which comes in mighty handy). Someday, I am going to meet Beth for real - we only live two hours from each other - but in the meantime, I just love reading her status updates and blog posts, and laughing together over all the fun and tragic complexities of life.
