The Family that Facebooks Together Stays Together

I saw that sign in one of the billboards we passed by along EDSA. It is a Bayan DSL wifi advertisement.

Everyone in our household has a Facebook account except me and my mom. Even our help has her own Facebook account! I understand how popular Facebook is, however, I felt turned off and sad after seeing the billboard feeling that it desecrates Fr. Peyton's saying that "A Family that Prays Together Stays Together." Times have really changed.

Today our family once again got together to celebrate Easter. Home is once again filled with people from 4 generations, from my mom, me and my siblings and their spouses, nieces and nephews and grand niece and grand nephew. In the past we always have egg hunting and the home will be a riot after our Easter Lunch as the kids and the kids at heart searched for plastic eggs scattered in our yard then there will be cheering and teasing as prizes are distributed. It was fun but it was also tiring and a drain on my pocket so we decided not to have it this year.

And so for the first time in so many years, the home was quiet after our Easter lunch as people found their places with most getting their gadgets -laptop, netbook, iphone, ipad, samsung galaxy and me my old GPRS nokia phone (well I really did not intend use it but I was getting Easter sms greetings from some family & friends). Some partnered or just watched others playing as they waited for their turn. There were occasional talks but for the most part people were focused on their gadgets.

And surprisingly, I did not feel bad. I remembered my father. He liked having the family together at home. Back then, we really did not have to talk with each other but he was just happy seeing us around at home. I too was happy having the family together. Indeed, they were busy with their own thing --playing online games, facebook, tweet (ahh I also don't have a tweeter account!) or doing whatever in their gadgets for the most part but there will always be a break and we still get to interact, engage in small talks and eat together.

I don't know if they felt the sense of family I felt. But I was definitely happy seeing my family together.