So Sad--Two Young Writers Have Recently Died

I have been very sad about two young writers recently dying--Eva Markvoort of cystic fibrosis, and Alicia Parlette of sarcoma. Both were in their 20s and not shy about writing about their lives and illnesses in their blogs. As a writer myself, I can see the value in this. It would be therapeutic to get it all down, to report on your own life. Plus, it would be a great vehicle to connect with your friends and families. And for Markvoort and Parlette, the circle kept getting larger and larger--both had a following around the world. Whether readers were attracted to the wonderful writing and photographs in the blogs, or because they were part of the respective disease communities, they all became friends of the writers--albeit virtual friends--and felt more alive and inspired because of it.