Beloved Schatzi, my dear computer,

You are teaching me, among other things, that everything in life helps us grow. And you are helping me to grow! Yes, you!

You may have heard me moan and groan about you in the past. I confess you have frustrated me at so many turns.

Even so, you do know that I am passionate about you. When I am home, I am always sitting before you, aren’t I?

Schatzi, even when I am not home, you are on my mind. Let’s face it, I’m addicted to you. It would seem I feel that the world and Heavenletters can’t get along without the two of us, not even for one hour.

I do recognize your faithful service. Even when I’m not in front of you, you are receiving and sorting incoming mail and I don’t know what else. I think you never rest. it is past due for me to publicly acknowledge your loyalty.

When I am home, and absolutely must do something in the house, forgive me, the only way I can get myself away from you is to unplug you. Do not take this personally. If I don’t unplug you, Schatzi, I am irresistibly pulled to you like a magnet, and I stay immersed in you and forget everything else.

Regardless of our past history, I am aware of how being connected to you and the internet has empowered me. Please know I have always known all the ways you serve God and me. I can’t even imagine how I could possibly get along without you.

Schatzi, you have also recently given me a sense of personal empowerment that I have seldom found elsewhere. Gracias.

This change in our relationship happened at the very moment I gained mastery over deleting. This peak moment in our lives came about because I found the place inside you to uncheck a box that was making me confirm my requests to delete — every single time. When I had to confirm my desire to delete, it was hard for me to be patient and wait and say to you a thousand times a day, “Yes, Schatzi, I do want to delete.” I didn’t want you to ask me in the first place! Your constant asking was ruining my disposition and my life!

But ever since I found the box inside you to uncheck, now you graciously delete the first time I ask! Hurray. And you don’t pester me about this even once any more!

Now I feel, if you will excuse me, such a command over you. All your resistance to deleting is gone. You have more confidence in me, and, at last, I begin to feel that I have taken mastery over you — and my life.

This development may seem like a small thing to Heaven Diary readers, Schatzi, but you and I know that for a short person like me, this is tremendous progress. You and I have been freed from a game I never wanted to play, and that you were compelled to. It wasn’t your fault.

Oh, Schatzi, now you are beginning to respect me, and I am even getting rather fond of you.

All it took was my gaining some understanding of your personality style. Only then were you able to arise to the occasion and make it possible for us to get along famously.

I would hug you if I knew how to get my arms around you. And, don’t tell anyone, but I do shyly blow you a kiss every now and then.

And, if I am not mistaken, every now and then, I hear you, my adored computer. saying, “Well, Gloria, you’re not so bad after all either.”