MOTHER’S DAY . . . and FACEBOOK?
This past Mother’s Day, I noticed a very unusual “trend” on Facebook. I was inundated with posts from so many people sharing pictures of their mothers and declaring their love and affection for all their Moms had done in their lives. On the surface, this was a nice thing to do. However, of those posts, I know that 90% of those mothers do not have Facebook accounts, don’t look at Facebook, and have never ventured to the Facebook platform. In essence, they will never see those postings from their children! So, why, do I ask, are so many people posting such sentiment on a platform that the recipient will never see? It certainly is not for my well-being, as I know very few of their mothers, and quite frankly am not sure I need to know this information. Is it the mechanics of belief that if I post about something, I am showing the world it must be true (again, does anyone need to know this?)?
This act baffles me, and I wonder if we are using our social media platforms for our own benefit versus for the benefit of the recipients. Do we just have an overwhelming urge to tell everyone in our contact lists everything going on in our minds? At the very least, I find this to be such strange behavior, and am sorry for all of those Moms who didn’t get the message.
I have a thought for any such day of importance. . . how about you head to your local store – be it national chain or independent retailer – and purchase a greeting card for the recipient? You can share a charged emotion with that person, and give them something tactile, and a keepsake, while giving them a treat in their mailbox. Couple that with a call to that person to share your thoughts, love and devotion, and now you have an informed, and I dare say, a happy recipient!
Or better yet, next Mother’s Day, take a plane, car, bus or plane to wherever she is, deliver that card in person and spend some time with her. I guarantee that is what she would want most of all, and life is too short not to make time for your Mom!
(P.S. – don’t even try posting your feelings for Father’s Day. Dads will never see those messages, so forget about it!)