Our 10 yr old son has Perthes disease, a degenerative hip condition.
Over the past year, we have become involved in online support groups. This weekend, there was a pool party for local families that are involved in one of the groups.
In the communications business, we counsel clients to have an integrated approach that encompasses traditional as well as online relationship building. Yesterday’s party was a reminder of the Internet’s advantages and limitations. As you can imagine, our family has shared quite a bit of information with complete strangers. Over time, we have gotten to know many of the families involved. Again, all participants share a common bond and are passionate about their children.
You can build a virtual relationship but… sooner or later it’s a good thing to make face-to-face contact. You can always transfer the relationship back online once you’ve met in the real. At work, we do many Skype video conference calls but again, it’s nice to actually meet people. Virtual relationships can complement but not replace real encounters that produce the laughter of children.