Well, my no-peopling weekend is going to be challenged by running errands this morning. Eeps. I plan to go straight to self checkout, though, to avoid all possible interactions. The question is, will I pick up a lipstick at Target (some of the more makeup-savvy people reading this probably just fell over…sorry…) to try Elisabeth’s trick? I know you will be waiting with bated breath to find out. 😉
Other than that, it’s a working weekend. We do not have a Thanksgiving (or Fall) break, which means next week is the usual mishmash for me of teaching, meetings, and other things I need to check off the list.
I realized I forgot a key part of my morning routine: The parental phone call. This started a couple of summers ago, when my parents decided that they wanted to check in every morning. Why? I’m not sure. To check that I’m alive? Regardless, each morning starts with the same text message: Good morning. Call when you can. Love you. (Sometimes I mix it up and use heart emojis instead of saying “love you”, LOL.) And then we talk for anywhere from 5-20 minutes. I usually get the weather report from where they live, as well as a run down of their days, and I look up goofy local news and share it with them. I figure, I don’t live with anyone, I don’t really have any breakfast conversation, so this is a small thing to do and honestly? It makes me happy. I know I won’t be able to do this forever, so I treasure each of these moments of mini-connection.
It’s kind of like the random texts you get from people just popping up to ask a question, or say hi. For me, at least, there’s a little burst of joy when I see that someone has, apparently, thought of me, and let me know. Even for the introvertiest of introverts, those mini-connections matter.
I hope you get the chance to have some mini (or not so mini!) connections this weekend and, for those in the US, next week. I know you all treasure them as much as I do, maybe even more.
(Well, this went down an unanticipated path, but… I guess that’s what you get when you title a post “Saturday Randomness”! Happy Saturday, my friends.)
I LOVE little connections like that. They can sometimes really break a funk in my day!
That’s exactly it! and it’s even better when I’m expecting a boring/annoying text (e.g., the 970000 reminders the pharmacy sends me that my prescription is ready. Thanks. I got it the first 13 times.). It reminds me to just send the text!.
I am always super pleased when I get a random text from someone, but I am always hesitant to text others because I think I might be intruding or bothering them. This is a good reminder that I should always just send the text!
EXACTLY! I just wrote that in my reply to Elisabeth. I always hesitate but… why do I do that? Why do I assume that people will be annoyed by me texting them to say hi or I was thinking of them? Just send the text, Anne!
Agreed, even for the introverts the mini connections matter. I didn’t plan my time very well today so guess what time I went to Costco? Yep right at noon on Saturday! I like to live dangerously.
Oh, man. That’s…wow. I admire your persistence in actually staying and completing the Costco run. I would have been tempted to turn and run, instead…
That’s so nice to talk to your parents on the daily!
I am so lucky. Even as annoying as it can be to get the weather report daily. 😉 (Also, the report on the squirrels outside their window, LOL.)
I absolutely love that you do that with your parents!!! <3 And love when people randomly think of me too!
It is nice. Even on the days when our calls only last 5 minutes – that little bit of routine in my morning helps a ton.
I love that you talk with your parents every morning! I FaceTime with my parents and sister 3x per week and it’s the next best thing to actually spending time with them in person. We started FaceTiming during the pandemic, didn’t really do it that often before (only phone calls), but I am so glad I get to “see” them regularly <3
We're home for Thanksgiving (just came back from SoCal visiting my MIL), so it will be a low-key holiday.
I thought you FaceTimed your parents and sister pretty frequently. What a wonderful way to keep in touch. I have my daily phone calls and then we typically have a weekend family Zoom… my brother’s kids (both in college) join when they can, but it’s always me, my brother, and my parents. We all love it – there’s something about that connection across the miles, isn’t there?
Glad you will be home, and hope you had a good visit to your MIL. I know you’re juggling a lot these days, friend, and I’m keeping you in my thoughts. <3
I love this little daily ritual! What a great connection point to start your day. <3
I also struggle with reaching out to people, even just to say hi, because I always think I'm bothering them or they don't want to hear from me. But I never feel that way when people I love reach out to me! It's something I really want to work on.
I need to work on that, too, Stephany. I love getting texts just saying hi, and yet I worry that anything I send would bother the other person. Not sure why I default to that thinking, but I do.
I know you FaceTime with your mom a lot, so you get the idea of the daily connection(s), even if they are brief. 🙂