How a 'lonely' mom's heartbreaking tweet brought the world together in an amazing show of compassion
Sometimes, the simplest, most ordinary things can become so extraordinary that it makes us look at life in a whole new way. Meet Rochelle, from Colorado, whose heartfelt post about her birthday made social media melt. More so in a time like we are in right now, with the entire nation grappling with the coronavirus pandemic and people under lockdown, isolated in their homes, away from their loved ones. Rochelle is also one of them, but her life is a tad tougher than most perhaps.
As a mother and sole caretaker of a 32-year old schizophrenic son, Rochelle finds herself lonely and literally “isolated”, especially on her birthday. On a day when friends and families should be wishing her, she doesn’t find them there and feels lonely. So she reached out to the virtual world and shared her feelings, perhaps hoping that someone out there will hear or read.
Here’s what Rochelle posted:
As the most wonderful response to this, people came together in support of her. Not one but hundreds on social media answered to this post and wished her and her son all the very best, encouraging her efforts and making her feel better.
One person commented, “Happy Birthday to someone trying hard to make the world a better place. Thank you Rochelle, may you be blessed as never before. ♥ ♥” Another Twitter user wished her better times ahead and posted, “I hope your day and your year both get better! Hang in there. These are trying times.”
Adding to these wonderful thoughts another user commented, “Bless your heart. Happy birthday Mrs. Rochelle! This is the beautiful, bright side of Twitter. We are one.”
Another user all the way from Seattle wished her too. "Being a caregiver can be one of the most thankless, but also the most selfless and inspiring roles. Thank you for the love and care you provide your son, and Happy Birthday from Seattle."
As the one struggling through her challenges, Rochelle couldn’t be happier. She personally thanked all the people who responded to her post and wished her well.
“Thanks. I'm so touched by the twitter universe right now, I can hardly see through my tears. Happy ones. Thank you so much. I'm just about speechless with love and gratitude.
I wonder if you and all the people who stopped their busy lives just to throw me a ray of hope and sunshine know how much this meant? Sincerely and with all my heart. Thank you”, she says.
It’s fascinating and heartwarming to see a virtual platform bringing people together and standing by people like Rochelle.