Thomas: Need to take more time to catch up with people

I was wondering the other day about how long has it been since I had called a friend or family member for the sheer sake of just doing so.

Now, don't get me wrong, I text a lot of family and friends all the time. In fact, many of them will probably tell you I talk too much as it is anyway.

No, what I am talking about is calling someone just to say hi and maybe catch up on what's going on in his or her lives.

What brought this on is a discussion I had with a friend about how our fathers will call at random times of any given day just to say hi or tell us about some random event in their lives.

My dad once called me to tell me that our family dog, Krisko, which I have mentioned before in columns, was angry with him because he refuses to let him have his favorite squeaky toy.

I of course reminded my father the toy has great emotional value to Krisko, seeing as it is the only squeaky toy in his 8-year history that has not been gutted and destroyed.

Of course, after the conversation I began to think about how long it had been since I sat down with or called family in friends who live in the next town down the road let alone those spread across the country.

One person who came to my mind quickly was my sister, who lives in Las Cruces. I've always been close to my sister and very protective of her. I'd say overprotective at times, though my dad out does me at that, especially considering his skill with a carving knife.

However, trying to stay on topic, I realized it had been to long since I talked to my sister and I should give her a call. Only, she decided to beat me to the punch and called me instead.

We spoke about life, seeking each other's advice and offering wisdom to one another. After the phone call I'll admit that not only did it make feel good to catch up, she also helped to cheer me up just by talking.

I guess with all that I have been doing with work and in my personal life, I forgot how important it is to keep in touch with the ones who make such an impact on my life.

It made me think about how long it had been since I heard the voices of those who matter so much to me. I plan on setting some time aside this week and weekend just to make some random phone calls.

Perhaps I'll get the chance to catch up. Maybe I'll get a rain check or even might get an invitation to go have a few drinks.

Often with all that is going on, we forget to take the time to talk with those wonderful people who fill our lives each day.

Thomas Garcia is a senior writer at the Quay County Sun. He can be reached at [email protected]