I didn't post on social media about my home purchase, marriage, or pregnancy. It made the moments more meaningful.

The author, shown with her husband and their child, chose not to post about big life milestones on social media.

Courtesy of Renate Flanagan.

I always felt special when my friends told me about big news before they posted it on social media.

When it came time for me to share some milestones, I chose to do it in person or over the phone.

For me, getting a hug is way better than getting likes on a post.

Years ago, I got a call from a friend .

"The most amazing thing happened," she gushed, "we got engaged!" She proceeded to tell me about how her boyfriend proposed.

They're such a loving and compatible couple, I couldn't have been happier for them.

Days later, I saw the picture online, her finger encrusted with an antique diamond ring , an heirloom from her fiancé's grandmother, just like she had told me about over the phone.

Over the years, I would get a message, sometimes out of the blue, from a friend saying something along the lines of, "Let's catch up." Then we'd set up a time to meet, or, if we lived too far apart, have a phone call.

At times, the news was joyful, like a pregnancy or a major step in a relationship.

Other times, it was somber, a divorce, a job loss , a tragic health condition.

Sometimes I would see my friends post on social media later, after they had already told me.

Each time, I felt honored that they had reached out to me directly.