Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – June 1, 2004
Catching Up
Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – June 1, 2004 – Things change so fast in our lives. Just this evening I went to visit clients of mine and they have a second baby on the way and are thinking of moving to the country. When and how did that happen?
As we move through the ups and downs of our own lives, we tend to forget that everyone else is doing exactly the same thing. I spoke with another friend a couple of weeks ago and she’s moving to the Cayman Islands in the fall. I knew it was her plan to retire early and move south, but all of a sudden the time has arrived and she’ll soon be gone.
It’s been ages since I’ve seen these people and now their lives are changing and they will be leaving Toronto, and moving out of my life. It made me wonder why I haven’t been in touch more often. The excuses are always the same – busy work schedule, too many personal commitments, grocery shopping to do, trying to fit in exercise time, reading for my book club, picking up the dry cleaning, going to the pharmacy, walking the dog and annoying the cat. The list of things “to do” is endless and it will be ever thus.
At some point in life we need to realize that catching up with friends is more important than accomplishing all the mundane things that will always be on our list of responsibilities on any given day. We tend to believe that friends will always be around, but life has a funny way of altering situations.
One day when we’re not looking, people we care about move to different cities, they get sick, they pass away or their priorities change. One day, the friends we thought we could always “catch up” with have left us, either literally or figuratively. We are saddened by these losses and vow to change. Then along comes another commitment and our resolve weakens – accomplishing things becomes more important than the people in our lives.
Time for a change. More phone calls to say hello, more lunches spent discussing personal matters – not business. How about a little gift for someone you love for no reason at all except to say “I care about you”. Visit someone you haven’t seen for awhile and simply say, “I’ve missed you and I’d like to sit and chat while we have a coffee”.
If it’s been too long since you last saw this person, I think you’ll be amazed at how warm the reception will be. People like to stay connected and to know they matter to others. There is no better way to let them know you care, than to take some time to “catch up” with them and find out what’s been happening in their lives.
