Monday afternoon, blog social hubster Anita Rowland passed on after a multi-year battle with cancer. I met Anita a few times, mostly at the Ralph’s-based meetups. Once, though, she and husband Jack came to our house (in an Anhalt apartment building on Capitol Hill) for some sort of party. This was, I think, before the cancer diagnosis. In any case, I enjoyed meeting Jack and Anita. I mourn her passing and find it a peculiar one: I am at a loss for words even when I set myself the task.

Anita, your enthusiastic application of social networking skills helped instantiate a substantial portion of my personal social framework today, and I thank and honor you for it. I believe I have seen the term ‘den-mother’ applied to your relationship to the nascent social space here in Seattle partially defined by blogging and online journaling and so forth.

I would argue, on the occasion of your memoriam, that the unhyphenated term ‘mother’ would be infinitely more appropriate.

I honor your life, and your passing, Mother, even though I did not know who you were or your name when I first began to indulge myself in this medium. Mother, you did not birth me or lead me to online writing, blogging, what have you.

Yet!

Your personal interest in and investment of time and energy and thought led directly to the creation of a distinct – and offline, face-to-face – community of bloggers and so forth hereabouts. Many – I flatter myself – of these are now my own friends, my own community, arms’ length and tiny personal icons loosely joined as they are. Without you, that community would exist in different form, as birthed by another.

I most sincerely bow my head in grief and honor. May whatever comes after, or the lack thereof, be merciful to you and yours. My thoughts are with your family, in sorrow and longing.