Facebook? Ugh!

But it does have its good points. Take for instance my friend Freda.
She was my best friend when we were at school, my giggling companion during our teens and my supportive bridesmaid when I was married. In fact,one of my fondest memories of her was when we travelled to Ireland with some grand notion of being able to trace her family. That was one of those holidays that I will always treasure, not just because we enjoyed ourselves but because for the first time I fully understood how much it would mean to my childhood friend to find her Danish natural father.
So why, I wonder did Freda and I ever lose touch? I suppose the arrival of children and moving away was partly responsible for us being reduced to the usual cards at Christmas, but there really was no excuse.
So imagine my surprise when struggling to find my way around Facebook (my publishers suggestion – not mine),when my friend Freda popped up accompanied by a stream of photographs. Suddenly I was back in her life again. I was catching up with over forty years of activity. But as I poured over the photographs it was the most recent that brought tears to my eyes. For there was Freda, wreathed in smiles, sitting between two Danish ladies, one of whom is the image of her. Sisters? Yes it was! Freda had found her Danish father’s family in Denmark, although sadly her father had died. I was so happy for her and so proud to have been part of that initial search. The second photo literally send shivers down my spine. It was of Freda’s grandson, a handsome boy of around sixteen or seventeen I guess. Next to it is a photo of Freda’s Danish father taken when he was in his early twenties. The likeness between grandfather and grandson is absolutely astounding. It could almost have been the same person. Freda had found her family.
So although I might not be Facebook’s greatest fan, it’s incidents like that that make it worthwhile for me.