I beg of you all, exercise patience.

When one hears about a potential loss of life in the community, step number one should not be to post your shock or disbelief on Facebook. It should not be to Tweet it out and see who knows if what you think you know is true.

Just think about how social media works. One post turns to six which turns to sixty.

Now let’s add into the mix that the family has absolutely 100 percent no idea yet. The funeral director has just picked up the body of the deceased and taken the body for autopsy.

A mother and father are about to receive the worst news of their lives. Yet there are already nearly 100 remembrances and condolences on Facebook.

How would you feel if it was your post that a father read on Facebook just as the funeral director was arriving to give him the news about his son?

There is both a time and place for public grief. Facebook has it’s place. It even has a function where the page name can be changed to ‘Remembering John Smith.” Or, the page can be left as-is and can remain active for years, still offering friends the ability to share photos and write posts.

But please, exercise patience.

The moment one hears of a local tragedy is not the time to sweep it across the virtual world.

This rings especially true if you have any doubt in your mind as to if the family knows about the death yet or not.

Picture this: A family who has been notified about the loss of their daughter. Left the world far too soon. Together, they made the conscious decision to inform their other children in person. There was one family member left to notify, and that person was driving home from out of state. Remember, he has no idea at this point that one of his nearest-and-dearest relatives has passed away. While on a pit stop driving, he checks Facebook on his smartphone.

Bam.

There it is. His life has changed forever.

His family knew about the loss, decided to wait the few hours for their son to arrive so that they could deliver the news in person, with loving and open arms.

Instead, the young man read about it on a Facebook post and has to remain in a condition where he can safely drive the rest of his trip?

Be mindful. Your single post can change a person’s life. A family’s life.