JULIE: During this
bizarre time when we are all quarantined, I need reassurance that our friends
and family members are safe and in a good place mentally. This is especially true of our young adult kids
who are not only dealing with social isolation, but also unemployment. I also worry
about our parents and siblings, especially my dad as he lives alone.
JOHN: Julie is a masterful communicator, and frequently has multiple threads of e-mails, text messages, and phone calls going. Her text message alert lights up dozens of times a day. I must admit that I sometimes find it mildly annoying that she is on her phone so frequently. Much more than that, though, I have very strong admiration for her tremendous communication, and how she places such a high value on staying in touch with others. It dawned on me that maybe this social isolation thing was harder for her than I realized.
JULIE: I saw our
suddenly clear calendar as an opportunity to reach out and reconnect with family
and friends across the country and the globe.
I earnestly arranged multiple phone calls and video gatherings to fill our schedule and the social void I was
experiencing.
JOHN: I’ll admit I
wasn’t initially thrilled with having a calendar filled with virtual meetings,
especially since working remotely has me spending 8-10 hours a day on
conference calls and video meetings. We also had a half-finished bathroom
project calling my name, but I saw how important this was to Julie. I put aside my sometimes grumpy attitude
about “giving up free time” to join Julie.
And you know what? It was
awesome! When I seized the opportunity to become part of the communication,
rather than be just an observer, we both enjoy it.
I now enthusiastically help to arrange and participate in
our virtual visits. Over the past
several weeks, we have “met” with friends and family members in other cities in
our state, across the country, and even Australia. This past Easter Sunday, we participated in
large Zoom gatherings with both of our
extended families. It just felt great to
share with Julie the concerns, experiences, laughs, and tears with those we
love.
JULIE: Since I know how much John values his
"productive" time, it meant a lot to me that he was willing to make
the sacrifice and join in on these virtual visits with our family and
friends. It changed the whole experience
when BOTH of us were on those calls. Reaching
out to others – together – is worth every ounce of energy we put
into it.
So, what are you waiting for? Reach out and touch someone
today – TOGETHER.
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