• I’m so bad at keeping in-touch these days that I’m embarrassed when I don’t have time or simply forget to return someone’s call. Let’s face it, we all get busy with work or family and have been guilty of neglecting to keep in touch with friends and some family members. I’m not talking about those with whom we communicate daily. They tend to get the majority of our attention. I’m referring to those long lost cousins, friends, aunts/uncles – those we know we should keep in touch with but end up getting too busy to call. There are tons of excuses but at the end of the day, days, months and years can pass with us having no idea about what’s going on in their lives and vice versa.

    To me they all sound like excuses- and it’s about time to get over it!

    Some people think that there is some sort of phone calling etiquette of ‘who should call who?’ Often we allow pride to get in the way and may think, ‘well, I called them last so now their turn to call me.’ Or ‘they’re the younger sibling or relative and so out of respect, they should initiate the call.’ To me they all sound like excuses- and it’s about time to get over it! It’s different if you have friends who never return calls or reciprocate and you decide that they aren’t worth the effort on your part. However, with family you can’t or shouldn’t just cut them off unless it’s an extreme case. And generally, you shouldn’t let other people’s behavior dictate what the right thing is for you to do.

    I have a small but tight knit group of close friends and family with whom I communicate on a daily basis. But then there’s a whole other group of friends and family who I know I should call but forget, unless it’s a major holiday or something. Most would like to get a call more often just to hear from me and just to let them know that I’m thinking about them. So, in my moment of clarity, I created a ‘Call List’ of people I thought I should call on a weekly and monthly basis. There were only about seven people who made the weekly cut and about seven more that made the monthly one. All of the people on my list are family members- I have a big family. My friends are more understanding about sporadic contact because we are all in the same busy stage of life. And my friends are also easy to reach via email or a quick text. It’s the ‘Old School’ family members (who still prefer a live voice) that I tend to lose. So, I set a reminder on my cell phone for my once-a-week calls. I set aside the time and I have to say that when I’m done with this new ritual I know that I have showed others that they are important to me. It makes their day and always adds to mine!