Facebook is not all bad

Image via CrunchBase

Jane was an avid facebook user.  Equally most of Jane's friends could be found sharing on thoughts over facebook.  As parents we largely just let this happen. Yes, we both had accounts but as with most parents use tended to be sporadic.

That changed at Jane's death.  Facebook became a way for us to find out who Jane was.  To find out to whom Jane mattered.  And it did that in an extraordinary way.


Initially there was a clear outpouring of emotion.  That then changed into sharing of memories of Jane: these we absolutely treasure.  Then it moved into a sharing of Jane's favourite music, and music that reminded people of Jane.

This experience of Facebook REALLY helped us.  What helped us most was finding things about Jane that we never knew, and one ringing truth - that Jane had almost the same attitude and effect on each and every person.

You know you go throiugh life raising children and all you hope is they have good friends.  Yes you get to know some, and a few in detail.  But largely other friends you may never meet.  And why should you?

After a death, that changes.  Now we found ourselves wanting and needing to find Jane's friends, even ones we had never ever met or heard of.

In that Facebook delivered.  I was even able to make contact with people in other countries, one whom posted a lovely video of Jane.

We would therefore like to say thanks.  Thanks to Facebook, but mostly thanks to all of Jane's friends.  Simply we cannot say thank you enough.