It’s a Wonderful Life . . .
Mary said you were in trouble. Nobody asked.
This, to me, is the essence of Daily Kos.
Yes, I know that that the credo of this community is electing more and better Democrats, but over the past eight years this community has done so much more than that.
And like the folks of Bedford Falls who would have been so much worse off without George Bailey in their lives, all of us would have been much worse off without Markos. Thank you, Markos, for creating this community.
I am reminded of the incredible specialness (for want of a better word) of this community nearly every day.
Today . . . well, more words:
A couple of weeks ago, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with throat cancer. He is 41. He has a wife who loves him and three children he adores. He is fortunate, as I have written in many emails to my own special DKos family, in that he has excellent health insurance, which made it possible for him to be treated at MD Anderson in Houston . . . the money wolves are not at his door as he battles this awful disease.
But like all families similarly situated, ours is now focused entirely on getting him well, helping his children, being there . . . doing everything we can to make the journey less difficult, keeping the hope alive, bringing any measure of comfort we can.
But also like all families similarly situated, we have other responsibilities with which to contend.
We have work and meals and housework and all the stuff that doesn’t end just because we wish it would. I have gone to work every day these past few weeks, even though there hasn’t been a night before that I have slept very well. I have been in constant contact with my sisters-in-law about Christmas. We are still figuring this out . . . where, how, what? We will know more tomorrow.
In the interim, many of the obligations I have to this community (gladly undertaken) have fallen by the wayside. I’ve sent more apologetic emails in the past three weeks than I can remember sending ever, and the emails I’ve received back are what made me write this diary tonight.
I am exhausted. My family is exhausted. We are just short fingernails away from falling off the cliff. But I grasped on again tonight because of the love and support of this community in the hours that I needed it.
Nobody asked.
The prayers, messages of hope, offers of help -- you all have no idea how much these have meant.
And tonight, I received an email from someone I have never met in “real” life, who not only agreed to take over a community diary responsibility I had, but asked whether she and her husband could send me their miles credit so that I could fly in to help my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I literally cried when I read it.
And people ask why I love this community so much.
There is no better place than Daily Kos. And I am so grateful for this community.
Thank you, Daily Kos. Thank you all for working so hard to make this a better world, and for the small things you all do every day that does that for everyone.