Precious Relationships

I love to be on the computer because it is my link to my social world. My social circle here in Arizona is comprised of friends that I love but never get the chance to spend time with; new relationships that are still in that not really comfortable getting-to-know-each-other phase; and those who are situation specific - such as co-workers, the ladies I volunteer with at church and those who are in my masters program. Unfortunately, this collection of "kind-of" friends doesn't frequently allow for those moments of joy and comfort that are so present when I'm with "real" friends.
Because I don't have these precious "real" friends anywhere nearby, I take advantage of the fact that most of them have blogs! I will say however, that it isn't enough. I often find myself checking blogs two or three times a day to see if they've been updated because I'm just desperate for some sort of link with these ladies that I miss. They are all precious Daughters of the King and my Sisters in Christ...
Britty is my wonderful MRE who lives in Colorado. She's beautiful, special, sooooo thoughtful and such a easy person to share life with. She's so selfless and kind and funny. She is my very best college friend!
Diggie is my little blessing from Texas. It is impossible to think of Digila without smiling. She is exuberant, friendly, understanding and just a joy to be around.
Moron is my.. well, moron!! :) from California. Moron has been my BFF since forever. She's the one who knows everything about me, knows all my stories and the one who I share all my "inside jokes" with. She is honest, practical, totally organized, goofy, beautiful, thoughtful and so special!
These ladies bless me by taking the time to share their lives on the web so that I can stay connected with them even though miles separate us.

I have other friends who have touched my life in precious ways that have not gotten on the blogging bandwagon yet... My communication with them is even more limited than with those who's lives I can read about. Stacy, Katie, Michelle, Abby, Rachel...
One reason is that when I try to call someone I haven't spoken with in an extended period of time, I begin to question whether or not we'll still have anything in common or if we'll have anything to talk about. I start to think that my life is completely boring and all I have to talk about is my children, so am I sure these people really want to hear about my kids? I suppose I should take the approach of creating a list of questions that I want to ask that person, and then call them to get information about their lives! This strategy may work... Even with a strategy in place, maintaining a relationship with the women in my life has proven to be an anxiety riddled experience.
I have no explanation for this fact. Anyone who has known me for any period of time knows that I am a very social person -- I love people and I feel lost without them. Solitary confinement would be torture for me. Left alone, I talk to myself, to the TV, the computer, the cat, the ferrets, the wall, etc...
When I have spoken to the ladies that I've lost contact with, almost universally they have expressed that they aren't good at maintaining contact either. What is it about us that we let these relationships go? I doubt that fear plays a role in their difficulty with maintaining contact as it does for me, but instead that they lose contact with friends because of the general busyness of life...
Honestly, I'm a busy woman - I have three children, a full time job, I'm a full time student and a housekeeper too. I volunteer at church every Sunday, read my Bible every day, I have class on Thursday nights until 10... I cook, clean, take care of 4 pets, pay bills, study, write papers, blog, read stories, etc....... But there is still time everyday that I take for myself. Some of my "me" time is spent driving to and from work when I listen to my radio and worship God. Some time is spent with kids: reading, talking, snugging, playing etc. But a big portion of my time is spent with the TV. I know this and I acknowledge it... On average, I'll bet I spend 1.5 hours watching TV each night... hhhmmmm...
Well, whatever the reasons, I don't want these precious relationships with these fantastic woment to be lost. I want to maintain them and even begin creating new ones. I love the people that God has brought into my life and I miss them dearly! So to you women -- you know who you are -- I love you! And if you get a chance sometime soon, call me -- I'd love to catch up! :)