#Microblog Monday 296: Friendships on Zoom
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When all of this began, weeks ago, we created a list of house rules and clipped it up on the refrigerator. There were the “musts” that we mostly do: three meals per day, do your work, put on clothes. (Yes, sweatpants count.) And then there were the “tries,” which came with the understanding that they may not happen every single day, but they should happen at least three or four times per week.
One of the “tries” is connect with a friend via video chat or a similar medium. Something more than a text message. I told them that it was like a vitamin; it wouldn’t cure anything but your body certainly knows when it’s missing. Connecting with people can prevent bigger problems down the road. Just as you may be able to avoid certain health issues if you get a regular supply of nutrients (I’m looking at you, scurvy), having a regular dose of friendship may stave off some emotional crises. Again, not perfect prevention, but better than nothing.
So if you haven’t connected with someone in the last seven days, schedule a video call.
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5 comments
I think I’ve been doing OK on that front… there have been a few video calls with various groups of online & IRL friends. I talk to my parents &/or sister on the phone at least once a week, and dh is in regular touch with his brother too. It’s not the same as face-to-face, that’s for sure, but it does help. (I suppose kids today aren’t used to talking on the old-fashioned phone, lol.)
My neighborhood book club has been doing a Facebook Messenger video chat at least once a month (in lieu of our monthly in-person meet-up) and occasionally on off weeks, too, and it’s been nice. I also did a Zoom meeting with a few friends from my mothers of multiples club once, and that was good, too.
I probably need to make more of an effort for connection with some of my closer local friends. So far, our interactions have been limited mostly to texts. . . probably because we’re all really busy, with our kids home 24/7, and a few of us are also still working full-time remotely.
Surprisingly to me, my sons (age 8) have expressed only sporadic and occasional desire to connect with any of their school friends. They do talk often about missing their neighborhood friends — it doesn’t help that a few of them are often seen out and about in our neighborhood, as their parents are not taking social distancing very seriously — and obviously they have each other to play with.
Last week I was on a zoom call with my sisters and my niece (and adult niece and nephew-in-law and great-nephew, because they had to include my sister in their “bubble” to help her out technologically!) for my niece’s birthday. And just last night I had a zoom call with two friends/former bookclub members. We’ve scheduled another one for Monday night.
I’ve also connected with a friend in Washington DC, who is doing this completely alone. You’ve reminded me it might be time for another chat with her.
Connecting is so important! It’s saving me these days.
Love your two lists, as long as yoga pants count, t0o.
I got an email from a friend yesterday – I’ve been thinking I needed to contact her for about 3 weeks, but I just couldn’t work up the energy to do it. I was glad she reached out, and sent her a long reply. She and I used to work together, so I have to email her again and complain about work. But I wanted to send her something slightly less complaint-ridden first.
But I will take your suggestion to text some friends – I hate video calls, though, so I probably will skip that.