A few weeks ago Facebook permanently deleted by 10 year old account. I'll spare you the boring, techy details but let's just say it was disappointing. All those photos. All those memories. All those (often arbitrary) connections. But then, after a few days of mourning, came a flood of unexpected jubilation. I was free! It's amazing what a social media break can do for one's soul and self-esteem. No more comparisons. No more mindless scrolling. No more fear of missing out. I basked in my found time. Yet, after a few weeks I came to the conclusion that I couldn't exactly perform all my functions of my business and as founder of a non-profit without connecting with the audience I had forged through Facebook. So, I (begrudgingly) created a new personal profile.
And then magic happened. It was a blast from the past really. A girl (I refer to her as if we are teenagers because in my mind we still are) reached out to me through my new, shiny Facebook profile. We exchanged pleasantries via Messenger, and then a truly pleasant thing happened. A phone call. (GASP! Actual contact was made albeit 600 miles apart.) Real voices were heard. Life happened. The refreshing, surprising interaction restored my faith in the platform. Here's the funny thing, the last time I'd spoken with this person we were 18 years old, now 19 years had passed and we were speaking again...this time linked by cancer. Time is a tricky, finicky thing. How had more years passed between us than years I had been alive when we last spoke? Such number crunching makes my brain hurt. The call was lovely and strange. And as we spoke I was reminded that some things never change like kindness and respect. And now, she shared with me compassion. She and her husband have a passion for serving those affected by cancer. He through his oncology practice, she through educating women about practicing safe beauty regimens. And though I don't suspect we will suddenly become BFF pen pals, I am grateful and thankful that she reached out to me at a time when many people are careful (and sometimes too cautious) to ask how I am doing these days. By the way, I'm doing just fine and feeling more social.