Friends and Phone Calls

As a rule, I really don't love talking on the phone. I know that some of you are in shock as a result of reading this comment because: (a). I talk a lot, and (b). when I leave messages on your phones it usually takes me several minutes and at least a couple of messages to get my whole thought out. But it's true. On the whole, I'd much rather visit face to face or sit down and write a really long email during a time that it is QUIET around here where I don't have to compete with two jabber walkies.

However, with most of my loved ones, this is just not possible as they live states away from me! And there are a handful of friends where literal years will pass by before we ever lay eyes on each other. Children are born, several moves take place, and all sorts of chapters in our lives are lived out before we are able to reconnect in person.

I'm thinking specifically of two childhood friends who other than attending summer camp with them through our school years and then living together for three short years in Bible school ten years ago, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen them since.

So, when a dear friend "facebooked" me yesterday asking me what time was good for a phone call, let me tell you - all of a sudden my day was completely reorganized around our little phone date that was going to take place later in the day! Baths no longer mattered for the boys, the laundry stayed dirty, supper plans? What supper plans? and suddenly the floor looked clean enough to wait another day to be vac'd! Coffee was made, and we settled in.

I LOVE those random gifts of time that are the next best thing to a face to face chat. Life is so crazy, but really - all that needs to be done is for me to pick up the phone, dial a few digits, and walk back into that loved one's life. I am really not very good at doing this. What I LOVE about these friendships though, is that years can literally go by, yet when we FINALLY reconnect, it's like time just fades away. We simply pick up right where we last left off. Advice is offered and given. Stories are told. Dreams are shared. Struggles are made vulnerable. And we get to know each other all over again. I love that.

And it makes me wonder why we waited so long to catch up with each other.