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.