The art of communication

I have maintained close relationships with a group of women that I "met" when Charlie was a baby, and over those 13 years we have bonded and keep near-daily contact with each other.  We call it our "loop," and we know all there is to know about each and every one of us.

We met in person several years ago at a beach house in Delaware ... and oh how we laughed.  We have been through births and deaths and divorce, kindergarten and high school, college and more.  Ages range from mid- 30's (now, so some of us were quite young 13 years ago) up into the 50 range.  It has always provided interesting perspectives (depending on the topic) and I can't imagine a life without the loopers.

I find communicating via e-mail to be very rewarding.  I don't find it impersonal, nor do I feel disconnected from someone that I communicate solely through the ether.  And I am also finding that Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with an even wider range of people.

So, being away from home for so long would seem like a hardship in terms of being in touch with family.  But, as with Hallie, I find that emails, instant messaging and phone calls really can bridge the gap of distance.

The other morning I was IMing with Hallie in Macau as she was getting ready to go to bed (I had just woken up in California) while I was watching a video that Charlie had put on Facebook.  Then Maddie IMed me, and there I was, first thing in the morning, completely immersed in communication with my children.

There are always daily phone calls and these videos, which the kids just discovered, and they really are quite hilarious.  Maddie has SUCH a sense of humour, and we were all hovered around the laptop last night as I showed them to my parents and brother.  Charlie did one where he was dancing, and hey, it's good to know that he's getting some cardio while I'm away!

There is one member of my family who does not do the communication thing well ... at all.  And he is feeling as though I have been gone a very long time.  He doesn't do email, certainly wouldn't go near Facebook, doesn't even know what IM means and can hardly tolerate the telephone.

We are in an era of constant communication.  Our children text each other constantly, update their antics via facebook constantly and upload pictures of whatever they did that day.  I find it fascinating ... what does it all mean, this constant being in touch?  Is it good?  Bad?  I don't know!  What I do know is that the one person in my family who doesn't utilize all these tools feels out of the loop, out-of-touch and as though I am very far away.