IS IT OKAY TO SEND CONDOLENCES ON FACEBOOK?
That question arose in a recent Ask Amy advice column, by a woman grieving the death of her father.
Explaining that she used both personal and electronic forms of communication to notify friends and co-workers of her dad's passing, she was fairly appalled to receive e-sympathy. And I nodded my head as I read her longing for "something I could hold, display and perhaps save."
Facebook fills many social networking needs, and memorial pages/death notices are being posted all the time. With growing frequency, families decline my offer to place an obituary (notice) in the newspaper, saying: "we'll let our friends know about the funeral with Facebook." An electronic culture of communication is a two-way street, though.
I appreciate how many people walk in the door of the funeral home with an envelope in hand and clearly, the recipients of those sympathy cards do, too.
- Please try to follow-up your Facebook comment with a real condolence note.
- If you do not have the home address of your Facebook "friend," it is always acceptable to mail a card to the funeral home that handled the arrangements. We are happy to securely forward mail.
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