Search and the Strength of the Human Spirit

Helen Hill, my sister-in-law, was one of the two people on this earth that I really felt were taking it into their own hands to make a difference in New Orleans, if not the world. If you were to perform a search for her name right now, you would learn, among other things, that there wasn't a picture taken where she wasn't smiling, that her unique talent for DIY animation has earned her recognition the world over, that she kept a pocket full of change so that there was always something to give the growing homeless of New Orleans, that she was an amazing mother, a loving wife, a daughter that made her parents and family proud to know her, and that she was killed on January 4th leaving a huge hole in the hearts of her friends and family worldwide.

I miss her... and so do her friends the world over. If you met her once, you would too. On the day after the incident her friends from LA, where she had attended Cal Arts created a tribute site for Helen, helenhill.org, that people from all over the world have now poured their hearts into with memories, pictures, video and audio of her sweet voice. The site was almost immediately accessible via Google and became a bright spot on the search page littered with stories of her murder and of the baby and husband, a Doctor for the poor of New Orleans, a beautiful, caring man, that she left behind. This man, Paul Gailiunas, who survived the attack, is the other person on this earth that i feel has taken it into his own hands to make a difference, and who's spirit has been buoyed by all the support and love sent his way from all over the world, and by the love of his 2 year old son Francis.

I write this post to commend Google on recognizing this site as quickly as they did, not because it was the right thing to do, or they were affected personally, but because they are so efficient and relevant. And in times like this, when everything else is so calamatous and emotional, it's nice to have something efficient and relevant to rely on.