Is Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind?

Are you an “absence makes the heart grow fonder” or, an “out of sight, out of mind” person?   

I think both are true for me but I am not happy about the “out of sight, out of mind” part. Especially, when it comes to people I care about.  

Mike and I discovered we both struggle with this issue. We have people in our lives that matter to us but if we don’t get to see them regularly, they drop out of our thoughts.

There are many days where work, ministry and personal life blur together. I spend the days connecting with people that are in my everyday world. By the end of the week, I realize I missed connecting with some of the people closest to me. If you repeat that for a few weeks, before you know it, you don’t know what’s happening with your mom, your sisters, your friends. You miss important things. Add to that, a pandemic, which has all of us a bit out of sync and not able to gather the way we have in the past.  

If we aren’t intentional, we can lose touch with people we love.  Something else Mike and I have in common is that we genuinely love people and each have many of them in our lives.  

We figured we probably weren’t the only ones feeling a little disconnected, missing people, and losing touch. So here’s a few ideas that we’re implementing to treat our close relationships in 2021 like a priority:

Start by taking a personal assessment of the priority relationships in your life and evaluate how much quality time you spend connecting with them.  Could it be that you’re giving too much time away to others and need to be more intentional about who receives your time?  

Once you’ve identified your priority relationships that need extra connection time, set up a simple system to intentionally make contact. You could jus make a note in your calendar to reach out to them once a week. That text, call, or quick recorded video message is a great way to stay in touch.  We have each come up with ways to help us be more intentional about connecting with the important people in our lives.

Tracey: I got a big box of pretty blank notecards from Amazon and stamps. Instead of just thinking about writing a note, I can actually follow through and do it! I LOVE to get cards, notes and letters and I want to do that for others. I am also setting up virtual coffee dates with people I love. Scheduling a time on Zoom or Facetime where no multi-tasking is happening, no other agenda, just connecting. Scheduling these is the only way it will happen so I am committed to doing it. I’ve had a few already and it’s been a special time! 

Mike: I have a group text with some family members. We are able on a daily basis to send notes, funny pictures or just say ‘Hi!” It is also a great way to keep up on the family news in one quick place. And, depending on which service you use, you may also be able to do group phone or video chats. I feel like I know more about what is happening in everyone’s life because we have the one spot to visit and check in whenever we need.

Need some more inspiration?  Here are some ideas: 

• You can mask up and invite someone you love to go on errands with you.  
• Do a drive-by delivery of a treat for someone you love. Staying in the car, on the driveway, or sitting on the porch and getting to see each other for a few minutes can warm your hearts.  
• Go for a walk, or a hike or even a bike ride.  
• Double date on Zoom. Connect with another couple. Play games, have dinner or dessert while catching up. These can be short, sweet and really fulfilling.  
• Headed out for a drive? Make a call and have a great conversation while enjoying the scenery.  

Being socially-distanced doesn’t have to cause emotional distance from the people you love.  Meaningful authentic relationships are worth fighting for.  Let’s love people well in 2021. Are you ready? 

Join us in our Facebook group and share your tips to help us stay in touch! Click Here To Join Tracey & Mike’s Group