I was speaking with a very good friend today by phone. She told me that one of her friends (a previous co-worker) had passed away at the early age of 51. We both commented that 51 years of age was too young to be gone from this earth. Did she know she mattered?
Two things went through my mind as I was listening to my friend tell me all about her co-worker, who was kind, friendly, team player, enjoyed life, etc. The funeral was planned for today. I wished my friend well as she prepared to attend the service.
- When we hear news that someone has passed, we begin to think about the last time we spoke or connected with that person. Our communication may have been by phone, text, voice mail, letter, Facebook post. Oftentimes, we are sad that our last communication was not recent or have meaningful words to express how we felt about that person. We wish we had made the effort to stay in touch. But it is easy to NOT stay in touch. The reality is that some people in our life just drop away from our focus and intention. We lose touch.
- How can we “find the time” to stay in touch with those that matter? What can we do intentionally to reach out? Especially when we are busy and life gets in the way. Some thing or idea will trigger us to think about person X and say to ourselves, “I need to call her/him” and then forget to take action.
Possible solutions:
- Set aside a specific amount of time on a weekly basis to review contacts in your phone to reach out with a call or a text to let them know you are thinking about them.
- Send an email asking to meet for coffee or lunch, explaining that you have been thinking about them and want to catch up.
- Send a handwritten note/card as an unexpected communication.
With intention, keep your network alive and let them know they matter! Be “that person” who stays in touch and cares!
“Don’t ignore the effort of a person who tries to keep in touch. It’s not all the time someone cares.”