This past weekend, my sister was visiting from college, and we were able to meet up and have a lovely brunch together at a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Marilynn's Place. What made this brunch extra lovely was that it was just the two of us, uninterrupted. No phone calls, no text messages, no Twitter alerts. It was just us catching up on the craziness that life can sometimes be.
Favorite meal of the day with sister #sisterdate #brunch pic.twitter.com/NCgvFy8fWk
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) March 15, 2015
I think it's so important to take time out of your busy schedule to really spend time with the people you love. Getting an unexpected text message from an old friend is great, but really taking the time to meet up with them and really catch up means so much more. Even if you can't physically be together, you can schedule a FaceTime or Skype date so the two of you can catch up and spend some time together, but not together.
The sad reality is that none of us are going to be around forever, and you don't want to wait after a tragedy and wish that you had just spent more time with this person or made him/her a priority. It's so easy to get bogged down in our day-to-day lives, going through the motions and claiming that we're tired and just don't have time. Even a thirty minute chat at a coffee house is better than nothing. There are so many ways for you to get more involved in the lives of your loved ones or even acquaintances that you used to be much closer to:
-- Use your lunch break to catch up with an old friend. You're going to eat lunch anyway; you may as well use it as a time to spend with someone you haven't seen in awhile.
-- Meet up with someone for drinks after work. Take advantage of happy hour drink and appetizer prices. Share some appetizers and dish on the latest happenings in your lives.
-- See a matinee showing of a movie with your family. Even if you don't want to dish out a bunch of cash, you can still catch up on the latest movie with a discounted matinee showing. Share some popcorn and spend a little extra time together after the movie discussing what you did or didn't like about it.
-- Throw a themed party. This is a great way to get together with several different people you haven't seen in awhile. I'm a huge fan of themed parties. Even if a holiday isn't coming up, you can still set a theme such as a craft party, a party centered around a movie or book you love, a Minute to Win It party or a wine tasting party. The possibilities are endless.
-- Have a game night. Let your competitive side show and play a few games with some friends. It's a great ice-breaker for those that may need it in case there's a little awkwardness there from having not spoken in such a long time.
As you get older, your group of loyal friends starts to diminish, but don't let it diminish to nothing. Spend time with the people who love you unconditionally and with the people you love just as much. Make an effort to have those people in your life regularly, not just in your news feed updates. Put down the phone and really focus on being present.
What are your favorite things to do with the people you love?
Awh this is so lovely, Tiffany! My uncle whom I never talked before Skyped me today and it was a pleasure having a little quality family time online!
ReplyDeleteLove these ideas! Most of my close friends live in different cities so I always make it a point to call or Skype with them once a month and we all try and get together as a big group at least 3 times a year. I agree, it's so important to prioritize the people we love
ReplyDeleteSo true! My sisters live in another state so I rarely see them. Family is so important and the past year has been very turbulent for mine and it made me, my mom and sisters bond more.
ReplyDeleteI noticed in the business of life the thing that was often slipping to the wayside was spending quality time with my loved ones so I made a point of it to do these little things even if it is drinks after work or yoga together or Sunday mornings. I want the relationships important to me to thrive and they won't if I don't put in the work and effort.
ReplyDeleteI love having family near by for this very reason! We live 30 minutes from my family and about an hour from one of my husband's sibling's family.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! It's always good to have family close by.
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing and exactly right! People can get mad and say "Well, she doesn't call me," but the phone works both ways, and if you start making the effort, they likely will too!
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing! They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and it can be true with family too!
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing that you still find a way to make your long-distance friendships work in such a fun way. It's always fun to plan reunions, and Skype dates are the best!
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome! It's always nice to get surprise Skype calls!
ReplyDeleteThat's such a great idea! I never thought of that. It'd be fun to even watch a movie together or keep up with the same TV show. I never thought about reading the same book at the same time. I love that!
ReplyDeleteI love these ideas! Many of my best friends are spread out all over the country, so it's hard to feel like we're spending quality time together when most of our friendship is via phone. I've found it's helpful to engage in some kind of similar experience, like reading the same book or doing a Bible study together. It's nice to know that on any given morning, my best friend and I are reading exactly the same thing.
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