Grieving on Social Media

While reading about the devastating Beachie Creek Fire in Oregon that started back in August and about the Tofte Family’s scary evacuation story, I was in disbelief. The fact that the fire moved so quickly giving the family literally no time to evacuate at all came as a surprise to me. I did not realize how fast these wild fires are able to spread. And I’m heart broken that Angela’s mother, Peggy Mosso, died in the fire that raged toward them that day. The story reminds me of the wild fires we are experiencing in Colorado that have been raging for what feels like an eternity. The smoke and ash in the air, the dark and gloomy days, and the strange filtered sunshine are becoming a norm. Just something else to add on top of everything that this year has brought to change our “normal”.

Thank God the Tofte Family found their son Wyatt. However, I can’t imagine what the family must be going through with the recent loss and the trauma of the event. If I were to suggest a way to help the Tofte Family recover and heal, it would be to create a new page on Facebook for the loss of Peggy. My best friends very recently and suddenly lost their father to a heart attack which has been extremely hard on the wife and three daughters who loved him dearly. However, the family created a Facebook page to remember him by where they’ve asked everyone to post pictures, stories, kind words or anything else they may have to share as a way of looking back at their loved one’s life and grieve the loss. From what my friends have told me, this has helped them greatly as it is heartwarming to go through all of the posts and read the encouraging words as well as read of the legacy their father and husband left behind through the stories those who knew him share. I think this is a beautiful way of using social media to grieve and remember a loved one. And doing this allows all of these memories and thoughtful words to be collected all on one page. Perhaps something like this would bring some peace and light to the Tofte Family as they begin to heal in this season as well.