Dear Mathilde,

On my way back from Saint Cloud, Minn. on Sunday, I had the fear of my life. The car I was in hit black ice going to the normal speed limit on an interstate. As a result, the car started fishtailing, and I saw the story of my life going through my head.

It’s not until I was back home in one piece that I realized how lucky we were. Ironically enough, it seems like my sister, Mathilde, had the same adrenaline rush than me, though on a different scale. I opened Facebook and saw a post on her wall, “encore un seisme en nouvelle zelande ...” (another earthquake in New Zealand).

I read the news online and see that another earthquake hit Christchurch. Now, I know it is far away from Masterton, the city she resides in, probably a couple hundred miles, but this most recent one was deadly, and powerful if I believe what the media says.

Once again, social networks have shown the influence it has on people’s life. I didn’t know how to get a hold of her, and it was way too late to call mom and dad, so I had to be patient. Some people say patience is a virtue; I always thought it has limits. As time went by, I couldn’t find anything related to Masterton, which made me assume she and her boyfriend were not affected at all. It’s only when I got to hear from her that I could finally be at peace.

If I were to write a message to the creator of Facebook I would ask him to improve the service a little bit, just so there are no misunderstandings. It just needs to provide more information on the situation, or the environment the person writes. For example, in addition to her status cited above, Facebook could have added a message saying: “Don’t you guys worry about Mathilde, she is fine, the earthquake didn’t hit Masterton, where she lives,” or something around those lines. This simple message on the social network was enough to remind me how important she is to me. I can’t thank the Internet enough for being here to see her, talk to her, but at the same time I wish it wasn’t there at all.

I like to ask the people around the Superior and Duluth area how they feel about the situation in New Zealand. What can be done to help the people there, especially something that is not being done yet. Many students would say that I shouldn’t even care because the earthquake did not affect her, my sister, who lives a world away from me. So I wonder, what if it had affected her? Would I be sitting here writing her a letter? I just need to know where people are actually doing something locally to help the Kiwis. Where do people donate, discuss, or act?  If anybody knows, I hope they are reading this letter. It may seem weird to Mathilde, but I would like to help out, maybe it will bring me closer to her, and faster. Remember, patience has its limits. I haven’t seen her in two years and a half. I don’t want Facebook to become the heart of our relationship.