"I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost."

It is very interesting to see how the bits are connected, on my twitter feed on thursday someone retweeted a link to the blog of a man called Derek Miller, who had just died from a long battle with colo-rectal cancer, according to Derek's wishes his family posted his last blog, the one in which he announces his own death Derek Millers last blog.

A profoundly moving piece of writing that had me in tears.

On thursday night one of my oldest online friends posted in a mailing list that her beloved foster son Derek had finally succumbed to his cancer after a long battle, I did not immediately put two and two together, because afterall Derek is a reasonably common name and sadly cancer is also a reasonably common cause of death.

It was only after reading some of the comments on the blog about cherry coke and my friend mentioning that her Derek hadn't gotten to drink his cherry coke that it clicked, her Derek and the Derek who wrote so movingly about his family and friends were the same people, it was my friend he talked about occasionally in his blog.

I did not know Derek, but I know my friend and I know she is hurting and aching inside from this pain of loss, and that connects us all.

It's rather amazing the connections you build up, or think you build up on LJ...

I read the LJ feed of Neil Gaimans blog officialgaiman and yesterday he posted that a family member had died, and today we find out that it was his Father, I don't know Neil, Neil doesn't know me, but all I could think of was how horrible this must be for him, losing his as he put it 'wonderful amazing' Man, and so close to their Golden Wedding anniversary, I know people die all the time, but I'm not connected to them, in some small way I am connected to Neil, and his loss makes me sad.