Miss Thing and Mammie Talk Facebook and Family

I call her Mammie; we all do.

And ever since I was a child, she has been one of my most favorite people in the world. We look very similar in pictures from our teenage years, and we both appreciate coffee, hunky men on the Hallmark Channel, and a good belly laugh.

Last year when I received a Facebook friend request from her, I was thrilled that we could communicate online and that I could share essays I write,  pictures of my kids,   and some of the events Mammie is unable to attend.

I’ve enjoyed her presence on Facebook so much that I wrote a story about it, and it was included in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandparents.

I love that on Facebook, I am Miss Thing and we are all Mammie’s Doll Babies.

I wanted to celebrate the release of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandparents this week by interviewing Mammie about her Facebook experience. Here is what she had to say:

 

Q: Why did you want a Facebook account?

A: Being at home a lot, I figured it would be fun and interesting and would help me keep abreast of the world and my family.

Q: What do you like about Facebook the most?

A: Seeing my grandchildren’s pics and family’s pics and knowing what they’re all doing.

Q: What do you dislike?

A: Rude remarks and vulgar language. I quickly delete it all from my feed.

Q: What is the funniest thing you’ve read or seen since you opened your account?

A: Too many to keep up with. Something one of my grandchildren said.

Q: Which grandchild?

A: I’m not telling.

Q: What advice would you give to others your age who might be considering joining Facebook?

A: It brings you closer to your family, even in thought. Maybe you can’t always be there in person to keep up with changes or their education, so this is the next best thing. Also, don’t put anything too personal out there, and don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know.

Q: What is the best part of being a grandmother?

A: When I’m at home, sitting in my chair, they come in the door, run straight to me and say, “Hey, Mammie! I love you!”

Q: What is something you would like people to know about you?

A: That I’m beautiful! Hahaha! And that I have the best family in the whole world.

 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandparents is available online and in stores March 26, 2019.

Below is an excerpt from my story, “Mammie’s Doll Babies.”

Sometimes, Mammie’s presence on Facebook makes me chuckle. One day, I woke up to 38 notifications from her. She was up at 3 in the morning, liking pictures from two years ago. I figured she must have had trouble sleeping, and she was looking at pictures to help pass the time.

Then there’s her special way of commenting on posts. She calls us all her doll babies, even those of  us who are approaching 40 years old, and she always signs her comments, “Love, Mammie.” After I posted a picture of my kids and me on a recent camping trip, she commented, “Here are three of Mammie’s little doll babies. Looks like a fun and happy time. Love you, Mammie.”

A friend asked me the other day if I was going to tell her that she didn’t need to sign her name at the end of her comments.

“I sure am not,” I told my friend. “She can use Facebook however she wants. I’m not criticizing a thing about what she does.”

Read more in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandparents.