Virtual Empathy

I’m new to virtuality. (Reality is a word. Is “virtuality” a word?) Until I joined Longitude Health a few months ago, I had never visited a blog site, much less contributed a post.

I began visiting sites. Each one seemed to have its own “personality”: ones with group hugs and fairy dust; others are irreverent; some are very academic; still others have an angry feel to them.  But were any of these sites able to convey empathy?

Recently I experienced reality-based empathy. My dog of 15 years died. Her name was Nora. Knowing how much she meant to me, my family, friends, neighbors, and office-mate all expressed their concern for my feelings. I also got cards, notes, and flowers. Someone even made a generous donation in Nora’s name to an organization that helps displaced animals. All those acts of kindness (in reality) were expressions of empathy.

But what about “virtual empathy”? I blogged about losing Nora. I expected a comment or two since so many people have pets that are dear to them. Why were there no comments?    Maybe no one read the post or if they read it, they were too busy to respond. I have a feeling that often people just don't know how to express their empathy.

I hope MyHealthVillage becomes a site “with heart”, a site where people with chronic conditions can not only share tips and experiences, but can also support one another with “virtual empathy”.

 A great read: A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield