Mail, it was called mail

If you knew me at all during the last ten years of my life, you'll know that Scott and I wrote letters to each other for over two years while he was on his mission. (On that note, never say you'll never do something. I thought it was the dumbest idea to write a missionary. I did it. Never say never.) I loved getting letters. I ran to the mailbox every day in hopes that I might have a letter from him. I loved the things we would talk about in letters, because obviously communication is much different via written form than verbal form. I told him about school, being a Relief Society president, nursing clinicals, and my family. He told me about preaching the gospel, sweltering heat, mosquitos, and less than sanity conditions.

I have been thinking about the lost art of keeping in touch with people. I read a lot of blogs. I read people's status updates on facebook. Do people know I read about their lives and care about how they are doing? Not likely. I don't often comment, because I don't feel I have anything worthwhile to say. So, I read about them. I confess I have a very if-you-don't-talk-to-me-than-I-won't-talk-to-you attitude. If someone comments to me, I make an effort to comment to them. If you don't, than I don't. I am trying to be better. I try to comment or at least "like" what people say on facebook. Who reads my blog? I know where they come from, but I don't know who reads about us. Scott and I were thousands of miles apart and yet somehow managed to keep in contact. Yet, I haven't been very successful at keeping in touch with people from the past that I thought I was close to.

I have one dear friend that I actually have kept in touch with. She moved away a couple of years ago. We wrote e-mails for a while until I couldn't type because I was nursing two babies 75% of my awake time. Now, we talk on the phone. Everyone else has drifted into non-contact-keeping-in-touch. I lament the loss of the real friendships.

So, in this season of celebrating Christ and his love, let us reach out to others. I challenge you to actually write (via real mail or e-mail or commenting on a blog or SOMETHING) to a friend. Let's actually communicate instead of just reading about each other. Now, I'm not just fishing for comments. I'm not that emotionally insecure that I want to beg for comments. I was just thinking about how little I actually communicate with people and think we could all do better.