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Abstract

Image from author’s Facebook account.</figcaption></figure>At first blush, this hardly looks like a post of any significance at all.But it is.You see, Rita Lyman is my nana, and she passed away this past summer.There are MANY MANY MANY different things that you could say to describe my Nana, and one of them was a Facebook fanatic.<blockquote id="8087">Once she was introduced to the social network, she was off to the races.</blockquote>We used to joke that you could post virtually any type of status and expect that you would receive your first like and comment from Nana, almost every time.Although it was silly in life, it was comforting in her death to know that there is still so much Facebook content out there produced by her.The thing is though, I just wasn’t expecting to see it on that day or at that moment as I was checking out my Facebook memories.<h1 id="b4e7">A Buffer from Our Past?</h1><figure id="1252"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*NUvVZYpiJ3K2q99M"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bikeshdesharphotography?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Bikesh Deshar</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>For all of the data that it collects and all of the information that it already knows about us, it is a

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mazing to think that Facebook doesn’t know to not include certain types of posts.The ironic thing is that Facebook may well know of the passing of my Nana even though the company has never been sent documents to that effect.The simple lack of activity on Nana’s account is likely enough for the all-powerful algorithms that run that social media platform to get the hint.Still, it faithfully churns out the memories as if there is no further significance to her post 11 years ago versus some other silly or random thing I did just 1 year ago.This left me thinking…<blockquote id="7296">Perhaps I am the one who needs to reshape how I feel about seeing such a post.</blockquote>Sure, my initial gut reaction is to feel sad about no longer being able to speak to my loved one.However, what if I flipped that on its head and was simply happy that I have the memory of the posts that she used to put out on Facebook in the first place?What I can see from that post is that 11 years ago my Nana was concerned about how I was weathering an ice storm.Of course, she was.Nana always worried about us and looked out for us. It is hardly a surprise that she would have written something like that.Being reminded of it at first might have been met with a twinge of pain, but ultimately, I am glad that I have that memory.</article></body>

Beware “Facebook Memories”: It Can Wreck Your Day

I was proud of myself, having brought all of the ingredients necessary to put together some homemade tacos for my lunch at work.

Sure, the meat was ground turkey instead of ground beef because that was all the stores had available, but at least it was Taco Thursday, right?

I decided in that moment to take a peek at what Facebook had to offer me. Namely, I wanted to see what was contained within my Facebook memories.

I’m not the only one who eagerly checks on this any time it is available, right?

Well, for whatever reason, I hadn’t already checked on mine that day. So, I figured my lunch break was as good of a time as any to do so.

Big mistake…

I went from happily putting together the tacos to having to recalibrate my emotional compass. It didn’t all turn out poorly as I will explain, but here is what I saw:

At first blush, this hardly looks like a post of any significance at all.

But it is.

You see, Rita Lyman is my nana, and she passed away this past summer.

There are MANY MANY MANY different things that you could say to describe my Nana, and one of them was a Facebook fanatic.

Once she was introduced to the social network, she was off to the races.

We used to joke that you could post virtually any type of status and expect that you would receive your first like and comment from Nana, almost every time.

Although it was silly in life, it was comforting in her death to know that there is still so much Facebook content out there produced by her.

The thing is though, I just wasn’t expecting to see it on that day or at that moment as I was checking out my Facebook memories.

A Buffer from Our Past?

For all of the data that it collects and all of the information that it already knows about us, it is amazing to think that Facebook doesn’t know to not include certain types of posts.

The ironic thing is that Facebook may well know of the passing of my Nana even though the company has never been sent documents to that effect.

The simple lack of activity on Nana’s account is likely enough for the all-powerful algorithms that run that social media platform to get the hint.

Still, it faithfully churns out the memories as if there is no further significance to her post 11 years ago versus some other silly or random thing I did just 1 year ago.

This left me thinking…

Perhaps I am the one who needs to reshape how I feel about seeing such a post.

Sure, my initial gut reaction is to feel sad about no longer being able to speak to my loved one.

However, what if I flipped that on its head and was simply happy that I have the memory of the posts that she used to put out on Facebook in the first place?

What I can see from that post is that 11 years ago my Nana was concerned about how I was weathering an ice storm.

Of course, she was.

Nana always worried about us and looked out for us. It is hardly a surprise that she would have written something like that.

Being reminded of it at first might have been met with a twinge of pain, but ultimately, I am glad that I have that memory.