When You Only Have an Hour
On Sunday, I headed to Chicago for a two-day blogging conference. The blogging conference schedule was packed, but I found an hour of time that I could meet with a friend that I hadn’t seen since college.
When I told Mathew that I was getting together with my old friend Jessica, he said to me, “I love that about you. I would probably never do that. Your schedule is already so full.”
I have thought a lot about what he said because I think his remark is true for many people.
People often just go with the status quo, unwilling to add something else because the time available seems too short, its a hassle or they might hear no.
As a full-time working mom, it is difficult to make time to see friends. Days are busy, nights with kids are short and so on. Often, the only time I can get together with a friend is over a one-hour lunch break, or squeezed in in-between conference sessions when I’m out of town!
But you know what?
That one hour is always life-giving and joy-filled. Honestly, I think many of my friendships are better because of those one-hour meals shared. In some cases, I think I would have lost touch with friends entirely if I had not been intentional about making sure we got together.
Limited time shouldn’t be an excuse for not investing in friendships.
When Jessica and I had dinner in Chicago Sunday night, it was like we just saw each other last week, not 14 years ago. We had a lot to catch up on, despite Facebook keeping us sort of connected.
The time I spent with Jessica was the highlight of my trip. I am so glad I took a chance to reach out and ask if she could have dinner. Sure I could have had dinner at the conference. But it was so much better to reach out to someone I really care about.
This week, if it has been awhile since you have seen a friend, I want to encourage you to reach out and schedule coffee or a meal together. It doesn’t have to be fancy or long for it to be meaningful.
You’ll be so glad you did.
I call it the ministry of presence. Staying connected takes face to face time at least once in a while.
YES! I wholeheartedly agree, there is so much value in keeping up with friendships. I learned this the hard way. Three years ago my husband and I were on a road trip, traveling from Upstate New York to Minnesota for a wedding. Driving through Wisconsin we were only about an hour away from where one of my cousins lived. But we were pushed for time, so I didn’t ask to stop in and visit. April a year ago that cousin passed away during childbirth. I so regret not making an effort to see her — I never imagined she wouldn’t be here just a few years later.