allsorts

I haven’t been able to post for a while, but I’ve been thinking just the same.

I’ve been struck by the way in which Neil’s Bebo is used by his friends to maintain the link with each other and with Neil. They still, 3 weeks after his death, post messages to him, recounting their feelings of loss and grief and telling him about things that are happening for them in the world they shared. To me this is extraordinary and a really powerful use of social media that I could never have imagined. (Apart from the fact that the situation is almost unimagineable anyway)

Reading their posts makes me cry - with yearning for the old normality with Neil in it obviously - but also with appreciation of the very evident goodness and firm faith in the power of personal relationships that is in these young people. They have been faced with a terrible event which will affect the rest of their lives.They are using the powerful medium to share their grief, remember Neil, and to support each other.

I can’t help worrying though.This medium is so ephemeral. Like all of us, sadly it won’t last forever. I expect that posts to Neil’s Bebo will gradually reduce in quantity and frequency, though I’m sure, as with blogs, many more people read than post and will continue to do so. But if it were suddenly to disappear…