I didnt write this and don't know who did, I just found it and thought it was really good, so I am posting it here.

Listen carefully. Can you hear it? It is a soft sound, so muted it is barely noticeable. At times it even seems to fade away into the distance -far, far away. Until you think it was never there…. But then you can hear it again, whisper soft and gentle. It sometimes takes a while to figure out just what it is. To even admit that you hear it.

Bring your ear closer to the computer. Just a little closer, still. Now you hear it. Now you know it is there.. And you know what it is. Finally, you recognize it. There simply is no denying the realization. It is the sound of people crying.

The Internet is generally thought of as a place where people gather--for fun, for information, sometimes just to talk. Yes, it certainly is that. People spend hours just getting lost in its seductive maze. There are wondrous sights to see, mountains of information to be had, fun to be found. But it is also a place of heartbreak, a refuge for those lost souls who daily pour their hearts out over the keyboard and onto the screen.

There is a lot of human tragedy to be found among the laughter, the jokes, the shopping, and the games. One might have to search a bit, but it is there. Unfortunately, it is there.

I know it is there because I have found it. Kindred souls like myself, who daily must wake up each morning and find out that the dream is not real after all. What dream? The dream that our pains have magically disappeared in the night; that our bodies produced a miracle while we slept. A miracle that would astound the medical community and give us back the lives we have lost. The idea that maybe we can enjoy one day, one hour, one minute without the burning, the gnawing, the stabbing. Just one day….

Where does the pain come from? Various sources; some known, some unknown. From shattered bones, from shattered homes, from deep within our tired and worn bodies and minds.

That is what has brought us together in the first place.

This common bond of pain that we share. The heartbreaking stories that tear at the soul, of lives shattered, marriages destroyed, hopes dashed. We live our ups and downs on the message board of that wonderful invention known as the Internet. A haven, a place we can go to console each other, celebrate our victories, and help each other endure our defeats. A place to find understanding, in a world that does not understand.

How did we find each other? For each, it is a different story. Most find their way by accident, by stumbling across a message posted in desperation on a part of the Internet that other people never even know exists. Suddenly, there is recognition. Suddenly, there is hope. Someone understands; someone knows. And not just one person. Many.

More than anyone would think possible. And the world changes. From across the miles we hug each other, we cry, we laugh. We share our deepest thoughts with people who may live a thousand miles away and whom we may never, ever meet. Faceless strangers who go by strange, cyberspace names. But, it doesn't matter. Our minds and hearts connect.

Lives have been saved on the Internet. Those in the depths of despair have written their message across the screen, tears running down their faces as the words take form and carry the cry of desperation across cyberspace. And someone answers. We are there for each other. We may not have the answers; we don't even know what the questions are. But for a short time, we can ease one type of pain; the pain of thinking that someone is all alone.

So, as others play cyber games, cyber flirt, even go cyber shopping in cyber malls, we are here holding each others hands and trying to make it through another day. Think of us here, sometimes, if you will. And if you ever feel the need to join our ranks, don't be afraid. We will be here to welcome you.