Today, I reconnected with an old friend. And it was so very good. Largely because, as I recently told my wife, life is lonely.
I don’t know about you, but with a house full of kiddos, bills to pay, ruts to get out of, and dreams to pursue (plus taking my wife out on a date . . . every year or so), there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to pursue meaningful relationships. To invest deeply in the spare moments I have with those around me.
Said more honestly, making time for friends and family members isn’t a priority. Not because I don’t care, but because if I don’t answer that call or text that friend, there are no immediate consequences, no tangible accountability. When I don’t fix that leaky faucet, however, or work a little extra to pay off some bills, the consequences are immediate. So I do what is needed to get by today, tomorrow, and next week because I have to.
Then suddenly, pictures of family trips, which always seem like they happened just yesterday, appear in my Facebook Memories, from four years ago (pictured above) and rather quickly, favorite moments become memories, as time quickly passes on.
This past week, as loneliness has crept in and the pressures of getting caught up on tasks and to-dos have weighed heavy, a call from an old friend has reminded me to find balance. To sit a little longer with my wife on a Saturday morning, sipping coffee. To read just one more book with my six-year-old rather than shooing him off to bed. To put off paying that bill just one more month because right now, I have a house full of kiddos and memories that need making.
But also, answer (or make) the call of an old friend, even when I have emails to write, and check in on each other because that too is life. And those we love are what we live life for.
So thank you, Friend, for making the time this morning. I know I needed it.
That’s what I’ve been thinking about this week.
#doGREATthings!
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