Pick up the PHONE…

I receive hundreds of emails each week, and I try to reply to every one of them when someone has taken the time to email me, send me a message on Facebook or YouTube, or leave a comment on my site. The other day I was doing just that, clearing out my inbox, and a couple of emails remained. I hadn’t written back to these particular ladies for a couple of days because I felt that it required a little more time than the average weekly check-in from my Mommy Coaching programs, for example. I felt prompted to actually pick up the phone and talk to these two women whose names faced me on the screen.

The problem was that I had never met these women.  They reached out to me when they saw me online. And I wanted to speak one on one to them. One mom was Stephanie, in Philly. One mom was Tracy in Nebraska. Maybe it was the impact that Tracy’s story had on me. As a single mom to five little girls under the age of six, her story gave me perspective; while we all feel we have rough days, the image of caring for those little ones left me feeling like I had it pretty darn easy.  So I knew I wanted to reach right on back, and that meant that I had to track them down.

I felt prompted to call. Email is easy. Texting is easy. And they work great, in most scenarios. But there are times when a phone call makes all the difference. So I started my search for these women’s phone numbers. I looked on Facebook. I used the phone book. I called family members! When I finally contacted these strangers, both women were so moved at the measure I’d taken. Tears came to their eyes, and I’ll tell you, they weren’t the only ones touched. I relearned a good lesson too. Once in a while, pick up the phone!

This example is a good one for us all: when we feel compelled, we should make the call. Let email, texting, and Facebook do the work for you, but when it comes to human connections, let the voices be heard! Let’s set the example for our kids too, who have all of these handy resources available to them, sometimes to a fault.

This tip is one of many that are coming your way in the weeks ahead! I have tons of ideas for you. Summer snacks, indoor and outdoor activities, how to plan a Staycation- it’s all coming your way, so stay tuned! And next week, I have a fun little giveaway. I LOVE lip gloss, as many of you know, and next week one lucky subscriber will receive my favorite kind! So be sure to subscribe at www.jenlovelady.com by entering your name & email up in the corner!