Reaching out, checking in

If you're wondering what they've been up to, ask

I’ve been reaching out to friends from my past this month, taking the excuse of the new year to check up and check in. People I truly haven’t talked to in ages and some I swore it couldn’t have been that long until I realized I was counting Instagram updates as being in each other’s lives.

This constant availability can make us feel like we’re more connected than ever, but there’s such a difference between commenting publicly and asking them, one-to-one, what they’ve been up to, what they’re proud of, what’s scaring them.

If you really wanna know how the kids are doing in school, you gotta reach out. If you really wanna know how they’re handling the loss of a family member, you gotta reach out. If you really wanna know if they’re okay, you have to ask. And when you do, you get more.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the range of responses. It’s great to hear good things from people you have reason to root for, even if you haven’t been actively cheering. And I like to think people are pleasantly surprised to hear from me. I know I like to be asked after, and as much as life is about who you know, that matters less than what we know about each other.

If this brings to mind a friend or two, as far as I’m concerned it’s still very much the start of the year if you want to steal my line, check in, say hi, and see what they’ve been up to.

And if you haven’t heard from me, feel free to beat me to the punch. I’d love to reconnect and tell you a story of my own.