Dreamers reconnect

A Nicki and Pippi pedicure...

Not me and Sam.  We're good.  We stay connected.

Instead, this is about friends.

See, when I was working, I had a lot more in real life friends.  They were all around.  We ate lunch together.  We traveled some.  We had pedicures.  It was good.  Really.

And then I started working from home.

When you change jobs or move, you suddenly realize whether friends were actual friends or simply work friends or neighbors.  The difference, all boiled down to simplicity, is whether or not you see each other outside of work or outside of the neighborhood...whether you ever see each other again.

I've had to really work at staying close to those I care about.  Like Pippi.

Some of you may recall that clever blogger.  We discovered that she lived in Charlotte, like me.  In fact, she even lived in South Charlotte, like me.  And she loved Starbucks...like me AGAIN.  So we met there one day.  And we became friends in real life.

We would get together for the pedicures.  We talked and texted and emailed.  We really connected.  She applauded my desire to leave my job, buy a boat, and build my dream future.  We did a great job of staying in touch until...sometime after the wedding.

Both of us became busy.  And it's easy to get wrapped up in our own lives, to forget to reach out to others.  It's important to not get so busy that friendship is a casualty of life.  Because there is nothing that keeps me happier or stronger than those I surround myself with.  So, I did it. 

A week or so ago, I contacted her by text.  I thought I'd feel her out, see if she was still interested in being my friend...in real life or online.  And we finally talked.  We finally connected...or in our case...reconnected.

We had much to talk about.  Let's face it, life can change a lot in a short period of time.  Or maybe that's just how my life goes.

Then Pippi did what she always does.  She challenged me.  She encouraged me.  She thinks I should write a book about this experience...of having Kenna, of raising a preemie, of life in the NICU, of how to survive.

It made me think about it, too.  Really think.  Really consider.

Now you know me.  Do I seem like the kind of person who would just go along writing books about her life experiences?  Yeah.  I sure would.  So, I'm mulling it over.  And if I think that I have enough to say, anything interesting to say, and can help others, I'll get right on it.

Thank you, Pippi.  Thank you for always being my friend.  Thank you for being you.

The lesson here isn't about the new project.  The lesson here is how important it is to keep friends in our life, to keep working on relationships, to remember what really matters.  Without my friends and family, I never would have made it through this challenging time with Kenna.  We are taught that there is safety in numbers growing up, but we forget that lesson.  One is the loneliest number, but we often lose touch with what matters.

Who have you let go?  Who has drifted away?  Don't be afraid to reach out.  It can make huge difference in your life.