Anna Morales never saw texting as a way to discuss the big things. The 29-year-old sends about 1,000 text messages a month from her Palm Centro, mostly to say, �What�s up?� But texting helped her get the space and support she needed when she faced one of the greatest ordeals of her life. Last December, Morales lost her mother to a 12-year battle with breast cancer and leukemia. �I texted for a week before I called and really talked more,� said Morales, who lives in Tampa, Fla. You've heard of people texting to avoid challenging conversations. Many of us have sent or received �textplanations,� including texts informing an acquaintance that we will not be attending a social gathering as we�d originally planned. Likely the most famous example of the phenomenon: Britney Spears� breakup text message to ex-husband Kevin Federline. �People use SMS to express everything they never wanted to say,� said Marian Salzman, a cultural trendspotter and partner at Porter Novelli, a public relations firm in New York City. That includes those who rely on text messages when they�re thrown one of life's curveballs, such as the death of a loved one or a devastating split. Texting lets the blue get emotional support when they�re rattled and unready to fully grapple with a trauma. Addressing the difficult things, which can be agonizing, embarrassing � and an assault on one's dignity, was never this easy.