“I miss my friends.
I know they are there, but there are some I just don’t get to talk to as much anymore. I don’t know why we’ve drifted.
Work, kids, just…life.
I ran across a friend on FB today whom I used to chat with all of the time.
We met through writing and I’ve always valued her kindness, wit, and honesty.
We used to talk about the ups and downs and celebrate each other when we succeeded.
For some reason we haven’t talked in a long time and I’m not sure either of us realized it was happening.
When I saw her pop up today I got really sad.
Why does life have to go so fast?
Why can I not make time for everyone and everything I want in my life, everyday?
Because, LIFE.
Because we work hard and that takes time.
Because we devote ourselves to our families and that takes time.
Because we have to do the mundane chores that come with keeping up a house and buying food and paying bills and blah, blah, blah, and that takes time, too.
I want to make sure my family is taken care of in the best way and do my best at my work and make my friends feel like they are a cherished by me.
I try.
I fail all the time because there is just not enough of me and not enough time.
I felt really terrible for letting those friendships falter and drift.
Then, I realized I’m not alone. We all feel like this.
Just like I cannot maintain it all, neither can my friend. Neither can any of us.
Don’t we all feel like this sometimes?
Some days we have the world on a string and some days the string trips us while the world laughs? Something like that, right?
Instead of feeling sad, I’m choosing to reach out.
I can’t spend hours with everyone all the time like I want to, but I can carve out time to check in.
I can let the ones I care about know I’m thinking of them and that I love them.
I haven’t forgotten them and they are not less important to me because we have to focus on different things for awhile.
Just like the world spins around so do friendships. The good ones reconnect. They always do.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Lauri Walker of Mama Needs a Nap. The article originally appeared on Facebook. Subscribe to our free email newsletter, Living Better—your ultimate guide for actionable insights, evidence backed advice, and captivating personal stories, propelling you forward to living a more fulfilling life.
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