Some thoughts on relationships
With my 50th high school reunion just around the corner (I know, I don't look it do I? Yea...I look like it should be my 70th) I have had the joy of reconnecting with an old friend who I really had not talked to for almost all of those 50 years. We sat next to each other throughout much of our school time together because our last names started with A. We weren't close, never hung out together, but always had a kind of connection that was unexplainable, yet real. Nothing formal, just a connection. It has brought great joy the last few months to communicate and find out what has happened in those 50 years. I can't see us ever getting out of touch again now.
Two weeks ago I drove down to Williamsburg, VA to see my best friend from high school. He suffers from ALS and has been wheelchair bound for 20 years or so. He is hard to understand when he talks sometimes but the close relationship we had somehow gives me the ability to hear and interpret what he is saying. He is one of those men in my life that I openly and gladly say 'I love you' to when I talk to him via email or see him. I wrote about saying 'I love you' on this blog in the past. Luckily he and I have never lost contact completely.
This has made me think about who else is out there that I should be more intentional about connecting with? I have had such fun catching up with my high school friend, why aren't I trying to do that with more people? After all I can think of about ten different guys I played sports with throughout high school and college that I would love to talk to. I had lots of female friends in high school. Wonder what they are doing?
Some of the college guys are beginning to reconnect because there is talk of getting the 1969 and 70 teams together that went to the college world series. But why has it taken an event to stay in touch?
Truth is whenever we see someone or talk to someone we haven't had contact with for quite some time we always make plans to get together. Right? We always say 'let's get together sometime soon!' Then we never do. Never.
Which is probably the reality of this kind of contact--we talk a lot, but do little.
That makes me want to be more serious about strengthening and growing the relationships I do have, with those in my life now who I do see, who I do talk to and do care about.
I'm never going to go see those people I see after many years and say 'let's get together' to...but the ones that are close? The ones that are in my life? I should make sure to be really intentional about spending time with them. Our relationships, to some extent, define us. And the important ones need to be worked on. I'm going to do a better job of staying connected with folks so I don't go 50 years without contact with someone who matters to me.
Two weeks ago I drove down to Williamsburg, VA to see my best friend from high school. He suffers from ALS and has been wheelchair bound for 20 years or so. He is hard to understand when he talks sometimes but the close relationship we had somehow gives me the ability to hear and interpret what he is saying. He is one of those men in my life that I openly and gladly say 'I love you' to when I talk to him via email or see him. I wrote about saying 'I love you' on this blog in the past. Luckily he and I have never lost contact completely.
This has made me think about who else is out there that I should be more intentional about connecting with? I have had such fun catching up with my high school friend, why aren't I trying to do that with more people? After all I can think of about ten different guys I played sports with throughout high school and college that I would love to talk to. I had lots of female friends in high school. Wonder what they are doing?
Some of the college guys are beginning to reconnect because there is talk of getting the 1969 and 70 teams together that went to the college world series. But why has it taken an event to stay in touch?
Truth is whenever we see someone or talk to someone we haven't had contact with for quite some time we always make plans to get together. Right? We always say 'let's get together sometime soon!' Then we never do. Never.
Which is probably the reality of this kind of contact--we talk a lot, but do little.
That makes me want to be more serious about strengthening and growing the relationships I do have, with those in my life now who I do see, who I do talk to and do care about.
I'm never going to go see those people I see after many years and say 'let's get together' to...but the ones that are close? The ones that are in my life? I should make sure to be really intentional about spending time with them. Our relationships, to some extent, define us. And the important ones need to be worked on. I'm going to do a better job of staying connected with folks so I don't go 50 years without contact with someone who matters to me.
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