Monday, September 30, 2013

Chat Anyone???

Today I learned that despite winning the senior superlative of "Most Talkative" of my high school senior class, that talking is a talent all its own and communicating is the key to humanity. 

So when your friend of 15 years calls and leaves a message for the fourth time saying, "Mary, you have got to change your schedule around and schedule in some time to talk to me", you get on it and call her as you take the dog on his nightly walk.  And when she can't talk just then you keep at it until you connect because those things matter.

And when your sister calls you on her way home from the airport after an enormously long flight home from Thailand and being jet lagged and exhausted says, "Talk to me.  Keep me awake until I get to my house."  You stop what you are doing or at least modify it enough to think of subjects and topics interesting enough to energize her mind instead of putting her to sleep.  Because this is the same sister you shared a room with from age 2-14 and talking was as much a tool to putting one another to sleep as it was to disclose your deepest darkest secrets.  And knowing the difference matters.

And when you finally join the age of technology and embrace texting as a form of communication, along with it's logging of texts, it can both surprise you and make perfect sense that your most texted friend is a woman who could be your mother in age but is still one of your closest friends because of her fierce loyalty, love and ability to be ridiculous and laugh with you while sitting in a car until 2am.  And because you see each other so regularly she is the one you can text or call and jump right into "I just want to quit" and it makes perfect sense to her without hearing the back story because she already knows it. 

And when you call another local "bestie" after not talking for almost a week to see how she is and tell her about your crazy week and hear the details of hers with details that make you feel so vulnerable you might not share them so willingly with most any other friend, she says I was starting to wonder if you were mad at me, which seems ridiculous because you love her to no end.  She inspires and amazes you. 

But, because you may just have another best friend across the country from you who you see for two weeks every summer and talk to maybe once every six months and that's just fine too, you realize that the power of silence is almost more meaningful than the power of words sometimes.  And knowing when to use each and with what person is what makes for a good communicator.

Because even if I was most talkative, I'm still working on communicating perfectly. But, I know that my relationships with people are some of my most prized possessions, so it's worth the effort.  And although I'm pretty sure each of you know it, I want to say, I will love you guys forever.  I'm different and better because you are in my life.

2 comments:

Jill said...

You are awesome Mary! Loved the blog post today! Happy October friend! :)

candice said...

much love from utah