There are many kinds of love and it can be found in many places. We love our family and we love our friends, and we love those people who enter our lives in various ways and make our world a better place just by being in it.
We were watching "Modern Marvels" on the History Channel tonight and we were led through the evolution of computers and the internet. It's estimated that 20% of the world's population uses the internet. That means that 1,319,972,109 people have a way to "meet" each other from the comfort of their living rooms - a way that until a few decades ago wasn't possible nor even imaginable.¹
In 1997, when we first got online at Our Little Acre, one evening found me chatting with a college student in Bangladesh. I don't remember the student's name - it was just a short and friendly conversation like you might have if you were sharing a train ride with someone. But it was at that moment that I realized just how much smaller my world had become, while at the same time making it wide open to me as never before.
I've met some wonderful people by way of the internet, which has led to incredible opportunities that otherwise wouldn't have been possible. I'm immersed in internet culture more than the average person and likely have enough stories about that to fill a book. (Hmmmm....)
More recently, I entered the blogging world and once again have been brought together with some pretty amazing and fabulous people. Some, I've met in person, and I hope to meet many more. This may be difficult to understand if you have never developed a relationship with other people in this way, but that doesn't make it any less valuable or real. People are still people, after all, and if you use a little common sense, good friendships can develop.
One of my garden blogger friends, Cindy of Rosehaven Cottage in California, understands perfectly what I'm talking about. She has shared her life with us through her wonderful posts about her garden, her cats, and her travels in a way that makes us feel as if we were her next-door neighbor. That's undoubtedly why she was the recipient of the "Spread the Love" award given to her by another blogger, and it's well-deserved.
Mica at Garb-oodles Soup, the originator of the award, describes it this way:
"I have met so many lovely and very talented ladies here in Blogdom, what more can I do or say to express my humbled heart to each, than to give all my Dearest Readers and Friends a special award filled with Love. So, Spread The Love dear ones, Spread The Love to those you love. Except (sic) my award in which I have specially designed and share it with others. Enjoy the day."
What a lovely way to express gratitude and appreciation for the spirit of love and friendship that develops from getting to know people through the sharing of their lives through blogging. And now Cindy has seen fit to give this award to me. Thank you, Cindy. I'm honored and I am thoroughly enjoying getting to know you better through your blog posts and e-mails.
Some of the people that I wanted to pass this award on to have already had it given to them (Jodi, Yolanda, Cindy, Robin, and Kate), but I want to add Lisa over at Greenbow. She is always so upbeat and has been a faithful reader here at Our Little Acre and leaves encouraging comments nearly every day. I'd like to pass it on to Kim (a.k.a. Blackswamp_Girl) at A Study in Contrasts. Kim and I share a northwest Ohio upbringing and have met in real life. I suppose she could be considered a neighbor in the global sense, but I wish she lived closer than 3½ hours away. We both agree we could get into some serious nursery-hopping trouble.
I'm always a little reluctant to pass awards like this on, because there are so many people that are deserving and my list would be ridiculously long as these things go if I named them all. But know that I appreciate each and every one of you that read my blog and leave comments. It's so fun to get feedback like that. Thank you.
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¹Statistics taken from World Internet Usage Statistics.
"Bejeweled"
5 comments:
Mz Kylee, You are a Dear for giving me this award. I do so appreciate it.
You are so right about meeting such nice people on the internet. It certainly has made our world much smaller. I would never have had the opportunity to meet you or the many other bloggers that share my passion for the garden and nature any other way. Meeting you and sharing your blog has enriched my life so much.
Again Many thanks.
Oh, couldn't we get into a lot of trouble if we could go nursery shopping together?!?! *grin*
Thank you for the award, Kylee. I am honored that you thought of me for this... and I definitely wished that we lived a lot closer than 3-1/2 hours away. But I promise that I will manage to visit Our Little Acre in person (instead of just drooling over it virtually!) this year!
Kylee,
Now I'm feeling all misty-eyed... you caught me by surprise too! What a wonderful post. I DO know exactly what you're talking about. I love how much smaller the world has become for me thanks to the internet and now blogging. I feel such a kinship with so many wonderful blogging friends (you in particular) that I never would have met without this technology. I am humbled everyday by this amazing privilege.
And speaking of feeling like next door neighbors... I planted my Hot Cocoa rosebush at the end of a wonderful 60+ degree day. And I thought of you as I played in the dirt. :)
Hugs,
Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage
Kylee - I think you've hit the nail on the head. Now if we could all just live closer to one another....the internet will have to do for now!
Perfect choices, Kylee! Isn't it great how the world has shrunk--or expanded, depending on our outlook--to include people in so many different parts of the world. I love that about blogging, and about gardening too, of course. Would we be so congenial a group if we were, oh, I dunno, talking politics?
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