A follow up to “innocence”

Something kind of amazing happened here over the past week.

A blog post I wrote about attending the funeral of my friend Craig’s daughter – a newborn who passed away at only nine days old – transformed from an introspective study in loss to a holding ground for the family’s memories.

It began slow, but it quickly gained speed. One family member after another lent their thoughts, turning the comments section into a history of grieving. Memories were shared, losses lamented and an air of moving forward crept into the narrative.

More than anything, blogs are designed to be a two-way street. Sure, it’s one thing to write and send it into the ether of the Internet – it’s another to respond, to move ourselves toward community, answering and re-answering each response, commenting on comments and creating a conversation.

Sometimes, however, it’s best to simply let the comments flow, uninterrupted. To lend a little space for a family to mourn, to let loose with their emotions and remember a little girl in whatever way they feel right.

In that way, I feel honored to be a part of it. To serve as the small piece of ether in which their comments are stored. To be the guestbook for a time that none of them want to relive, but that no one will ever forget.