On vacation, we bought my father-in-law a laptop. Our goal was to get him hooked up with Facebook. He spends many hours alone, caring for my mother-in-law who is now bedridden. Long days pass and he is there by her side. We are concerned, because he is withdrawing, sort of pulling away from life.
Our goal was to teach him about Facebook. For me, Facebook has been fantastic. I can't have detailed phone conversations any longer, so a visit to my FB page brings me up to speed with so many people...no hearing required! The sense of connection to my world, my family, my friends, it brings me such joy. I know it can be a "huge waste of time" as Betty White noted, but it is the idle conversations I miss so much. And I know that my Dad-in-law, Ed, does, too.
We got his page up and running, thanks to our in house FB expert, daughter Gracie. Now, he has "friend requests" pouring in. As he sits in the house by himself, he really isn't alone anymore. When we are far away, I have a way of reaching him, even if it is just a few lines. I can tell him that I adore him, that I miss him.
His profile picture has a big smile, that sort of said it all. It really is remarkable, this thing called Facebook. Waste of time? Sure, but for Ed, it will be a lifeline. Just like that day, many years ago, holding hands with granddaughter Gracie...we all need to be in touch, we need to have a sense of connection to people that love us. So, thank you Facebook.... I think you are a great use of time!
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