Before Covid, I had a few friends that lived close to me but things happened and I have been finding healthier relationships and eliminating the toxic ones. So this number dwindled however- I am blessed that I do have so so many great friends online. I count on them the same amount if not more than the people physically in my life. So it’s no different to me and I hope they know how important to me they are.
I always love when people check in with me or stay in constant contact; aside from busy lives I believe it’s very important to keep your community and friends near you and active in your life. I try my best to always check on my friends to see that they are happy and stable in daily life.
A kind thing to do to stay in touch is use some personalized or special picked out stationary and write a letter. I always mention what’s new, ask questions and hope that they write back and maybe it becomes a regular thing, which is so fun. You can also include cute things to share like stamps, stickers or vinyls. Anything thin enough to be placed in an envelope without extra postage. I love the idea of having pen pals- when I first started blogging this was a fun way to meet new people. And I am one that loves a hand lettered (script) address, so if you can do that or want to learn I know they would appreciate the simple beauty on the envelope.
Often times a face to face video chat is perfect between busy moments in your day and while the mask mandate is lifted right now yet it still being actively Covid and still being careful-so it feels nice to connect in this way.
ZOOM is what I use for a lot of live streams for ecourses and recorded videos from memberships etc. Pam and I use ZOOM for our planning powerhours while we visit and catch up on life. It’s a great place to work actively while having a meeting or long discussion with someone else or many people at a time.
We also have a “blogger group” I call it because at one time we were all bloggers and/or now entrepenuers and content managers. Voxer is a great app in which you can use for voice chats/walkie talkie mode, text chats and group messaging. Also having the option for many chats is a great benefit when you have many people in one space communicating. We also lead a book club here where we talk about the books we are reading as a group or ones we enjoy on our own. And we share great quotes and tips when it comes to that topic of the month.
Slack is geared for groups and different hashtags and rooms for different purposes. And with the slackbot’s auto and controlled responses- it can be a really fun place to talk and plan business or be a part of a club in here is easy too.
Facebook messaging is a fast speedy way to quickly catch up with friends if they are also on FB. The use of GIFS and emojis/avatars make conversing here more fun and entertaining. Also can be good for family convos if and when someone passes- I have saved convos that are preserved by not deleting or archiving them. This app is in combination with its own FB video chat which is also great in a pinch.
Texting can be a great resource to stay in touch with family and friends and acquaintances who may not live near you. It’s almost just as instant and enriching when you don’t have a limit on time or space (per say) unless your phone is in limited space. I love having full on conversations via texting. I’m not much of a telephone call person (I think I have some anxiety around that) and well I think the point gets across the same. I believe you have to be more careful with time and attitude in text but for the most part- it’s my desired communication style.
Marco Polo is an instant walkie-talkie video clip chat app. I like this if I want to see someone face to face but want a different app for it. It’s also just dependent on what apps people are on and use.
Snapchat, I mainly use with certain people for daily updates or for those who do use Snapchat to a wider audience. I really enjoy taking selfies here and using their filters and in the moment ree
Maybe this helped someone or reminded you of a friend or family member that you haven’t talked to in awhile. Just take a minute or five, and call, text or video message them- heck write a letter to an elder, that can be a fun thing to do and share in those memories forever. Staying in touch with each other as we continue to live through a endemic era is a very important thing because if not we become hermits and claustrophobic and society as a whole cannot function that way. It is crucial to connect and share our lives with others to make us whole to and continue to inspire and drive the human experience.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
