The kindest thing you can do for someone today is making contact. There’s no real prescription for it. It’s not really about right or wrong. But you are surrounded by people, near and far, who need you to reach out.
All the Needs
Today I have a headache. I have green beans to can, salsa to make and can, and two different freelance projects on my plate.
My kids are tired. We are on our second week in a row of VBS, and my kids were not having it this morning.
And we have to do actual dance moves with this VBS music which brought waves of junior-high-style insecurity. I hate looking silly, and dancing is the surest way to make me feel that way.
My issues are real because they are mine. But so many others have needs, too. And they can seem so overwhelming.
The Other Needs
After VBS one evening last week, a lovely lady I know came up to tell me that she’s rarely on Facebook, but she saw my post on loneliness. She just needed me to know she got it. She’s a working, special-needs mom who’s also doing a lot to help raise her grandkids. And she’s lonely too.
Last week, I heard about couple I graduated from college with. He was killed in an accident, and she’s left behind with four kids. Heartbreaking.
Last week, another young and otherwise healthy friend was hospitalized with a serious blood clot.
A friend’s grandmother died last week. And another good friend recently learned that yet-another of her family members is dying.
Foster care. Cancer. Job stress. Holding our kids’ hurts as closely as our own. Church disappointments. Cliques. Burning dinner. All our worries about the next thing, the next stage, the next day.
They are real. So very real. And as you look around, they are piling up inside those who sit, stand, or live near you.
Making Contact Makes a Difference
No matter where you are today, making contact makes a difference. It really does.
You don’t have to send flowers, though that’s always nice. A card or note is good. An email. An invitation. Making contact is sometimes best done with a hug or handshake. A pat on the back. A silly grin or a bad joke.
I have no idea what your day has looked like today. Maybe you’ve had a great day (I hope so). Maybe the weight of life is heavy for you today.
Making contact can make all the difference. On a rough day, it will lighten your load. On a good day, you’ll make someone else feel seen. Making contact shares out the burdens and increases hope. And we all need it.
A lonely, busy grandmother. A new widow. The reality of another normal day. Whoever she is, whoever you are, making contact is the smallest, but most impactful, cure for loneliness I know.
Don’t wait until it feels right. Start today by making contact with the first person who comes to mind. I promise: It will make a world of difference.
