MakeTime to Talk

Picture by Jon Wisbey

I find that one of the first things I give up when I have too much work to do, is time to just sit down and talk to my husband, parents or friends. I don't mean that I don't spend time with them. I mean the time spent usually revolves around another activity. It's as if an activity is easier to stick to than just being together, like it's more important, which is ridiculous, of course (are there too many comma's in that sentence?).

One of the things we've managed to do with my husband's parents (and sometimes my parents) is actually set time aside for talking. Since that only happens once every month or so (which is a shame!), there's a lot to catch up on and we're eager to talk on both ends. I love these times, since I don't feel I have to rush off to do something else and can really enjoy just the talking. I get to focus on the conversation, making it interesting and entertaining.

A good conversation can last hours, so it's important that you find (read: create) a gap in your schedule that is big enough to accommodate a proper conversation. No 30 minutes here and there, that doesn't send the right message at all!
Since others might be more inclined to make it to an activity than a casual conversation, invite them over for tea/coffee/kefir (hehe) and a snack. I've had afternoons like this with my girlfriends from college and high school, and with my grandmother. Picnics are a wonderful time for the whole family to be outdoors and focus on each other.

It's important to take the 5 minutes you have and schedule these meetings. Maybe it can even become a weekly or bi-weekly thing. I meet my friend for a chat every week (occasional skips) and my parents meet their old friends once a month now, because they were tired of never seeing each other anymore. Planning is the only way to stop the time slipping through your fingers until you suddenly realized you haven't talked to one of your best friends in months! Don't you just hate that feeling?

It's important to take time to talk even for the people you're living with. Even though you see them every day, you may be living alongside each other rather than together, and that's the start to growing apart. My husband and I spend most of our days in the same apartment, but in different rooms. So we make sure we have activities that allow us to talk (we play cards, for example) or just sit down for a chat from time to time. It makes all the difference.

Is there someone you haven't talked to in a while? When was the last time you had a solid conversation with your significant other?