We all hear complaints about Social Networking all the time from all walks of life.  Facebook often takes the brunt of it.  Everyone mocks and takes shot at Facebook, but almost everybody still participates.

Recently, I experienced something that I found both incredibly fascinating and moving.  A fraternity brother of mine who was well-loved and had been battling cancer for a few years finally succumbed and passed away leaving his wife and 10 year-old son behind.

Skid (his pledge name) had lived in Las Vegas for years.  While the desire for many of us to attend his funeral was strong, we all have jobs, families and lives of our own that make such a trip at the last minute almost impossible.

It had been nearly 25 years since I left college and active status in the fraternity.  Since the advent of Facebook however, our relationships as brothers in the fraternity have thrived.   Continuous jokes, chop busting and ragging on each others' sport teams often reminded of the feel of hanging around the house at brothers' kegs.

When Skid passed a couple weeks back though, Facebook found a new role to play.  The funeral had been Thursday, then Friday they had a gathering to celebrate his life.  The brothers decided to each take a picture on Friday evening at 7pm of them having a shot or a beer dedicated to him and posted them on Facebook with his wife tagged so that she would see them and whatever dedication we wrote to Skid (Pat was his real name), his wife and son.  One of the brothers who did attend the proceedings said that she probably got between 70 and 90 individual dedications throughout the course of the evening (including one from the entire chapter of actives who gathered in his honor).  As our brother indicated to us, "the message was well received and overwhelmingly appreciated."

I can't imagine what it must be like to be 10 years old and to lose your dad.  I can only imagine though that it would come in handy at some point to have access to such dedications from people so close to your dad referencing the things that he valued and represented most.  I have to say, it was a good day for social media.