1.  You find out all the “cool people” from high school turned out just like you did, absolutely average. : )  All those people who made you feel like a science experiment gone horribly wrong twenty years ago are now follicly challenged and expanded in the middle. They drive cars that have big payments and bald tires. Live in houses with huge mortgages and Kool Aid stains on the carpet. Just like you do. So remove them from their pedestals in your mind and don’t put anyone else up there, while you are at it.

2.  The Wallflowers have blossomed. It is a glorious thing to find that the painfully shy are now social butterflies. Freed from the constraints of face to face conversation, these folks are a barrel of fun.

3.  Revolution Baby!   You get to be part of a movement like An Arbitrary Number of People Demanding That Some Sort Of Action Be Taken!   The perfect place to vent all your blind fury at someone or something that may or may not be offensive, at one time or another. A community full of such wisdom as “Down with that sort of thing!” from Peter Sinclair.  Gold people!

Who cannot be moved to action by Angela Hunter’s words “It has come to my attention that action should be taken by so many individuals in this very group, how many? We cannot say. When do they need to take action? As soon as can be reasonably allowed within a time frame relevant to their daily lives. This will not stand – it needs a sit down and cup of cocoa. ” My heart swells and my head hurts just thinking about it!

Special thanks to Tim Rush for leading the way to enlightment.  

4. Family - Very few of us get to live by family anymore. The curse (for some) of being a mobile people is that we loose those connections to where and who we come from.  On Facebook I see pictures of cousins, aunts and uncles that otherwise would not be a part of my daily life.  My kids get the benefit of knowing that there are people in the world who love them from long distance.

5.  Friends, Friends and Friends  You had no idea you were so popular until Facebook put a number out there for you to comfort yourself with in the dark, lonely hours of the night.  Proudly displayed, every single soul that has agreed to publicly admit  knowing you, even casually. All your friends, forever. Or until one of you blocks the other.  A beautiful thing.  

6.  Pictures   My dog, your cat, our kids, crashes, fires, flowers, footed Sock Monkey pajamas, Pet Snuggie…all seen on Facebook. Pictures that we are compelled to post reveal as much about those who take time to offer their two cents. Let’s face it, sometimes it takes a village to figure out exactly what the  Happy Zebra  your son drew at school was so happy about.  Thanks to those who let supper burn on the stove while we figured that one out.

7.  You see Jesus Everywhere   You really do. There are chemotherapy updates met with love and commitments of prayer. Flat tires admissions draw offers to help. Strong opinions are met with even stronger doses of grace. Misunderstandings are laughed over. Confess that you yelled at your kids this morning,felt crummy all day, and three other moms will step forward to attach themselves to your status.  

There are cries of joy, cries for help and everywhere opportunities to love others.   So what are you waiting for? Go join Facebook already!