Bridging the gap!

(This message was originally published in Dutch on December 15th 2014, Afstand is er om te overbruggen!) 

It has been a while since I wrote a message. A lot has happened in my life. Many things to write about, events and other things that could be a great start... nevertheless I didn't do it. I did not succeed to bridge the gap and find the time to entrust my thoughts to the digital paper. Bridging the gap, that small phrase moves my heart. 

A short while ago I heard on the radio that 40% of all people in the Netherlands has at least one family member with whom he or she is no longer in contact. The NOS (Dutch public broadcasting company) posted a small article on the subject. It saddens me to realize that there can be such a distance between people that live in the same country. Most likely these people used to celebrate Christmas together, but they are no longer able to tell each other’s life story into detail. 

A short while ago a post on Facebook reminded me of the life story of Margreet. I met Margreet when I was working as an SLP in residential care, Arnhem for the organization called Siza. Her life story and her delight in life moved. She needs some extra time to tell her story, because she is no longer able to talk quickly after the brain injury. If you take the time to let her do the talking, you will discover that she is still the entrepreneurial woman from before the accident while traveling. Her dream is to share her story with many people around the globe. She started fund raising for a film based on her book, Love to Live. Hopefully the film will one day be there. One more gap will be bridged and a life story will be known. 

What gives rise to the gap between two people that are willing to communicate with each other? Distance in kilometers? Time? Is there still gap to be found that can't be bridged? There is always a way to be found, a way or method for successful communication. Yesterday I had the privilege to talk to a good friend of mine in Canada using FaceTime. We were both awake at the same time and enjoyed each others (digital) company. Today I had (digital) fika with a friend in Sweden after a long day of work. Without much trouble it seems like we're in the same room, enjoying each other’s company, with coffee, tea and chocolate cookies. We bridged the gap and shared parts of our life story. We chat, share frustrations, laugh and show each other what our new house looks like. 

On days like this, Internet is really my best friend! Without limits I 'kissed' a tough little girl goodnight, because all devices were fully charged, webcams were working and the Wi-Fi signals were strong enough. The only delaying factor in the conversation over a distance of 1.400 kilometer (Utrecht (NL) - Stockholm (SE) is the translation from English to Swedish to Swedish with a PODD. A PODD

is one of the many systems that can be used by parents and children with special needs to bridge the communication gap.

The tough girly-girl in Sweden with her PODD and personal assistant.