New Connections with Old Friends

I’ve lost track of how long it’s been since I’ve “seen” some of my closest friends. I include the parentheses because seeing their pixelated face through a screen, and hearing their voice through my laptop speakers, just doesn’t have the same impact as being physically near them. While it’s been great to continue to communicate with the people that mean the most to me, it’s also been tough to accept that seeing my friends in person is still a long way off. 

However, I was forced to check myself last week, during a conversation with a client, as she expressed her disappointment in knowing that she would be waiting even longer to spend time with the people she cares about. For a person with disabilities, Covid has created even greater barriers, in that many of these individuals will have to be absolutely certain that the conditions they’re walking into are safe, both for themselves and those around them. For some, the sensory experiences that come with wearing a mask won’t allow them to be able to actively participate in conversations or gatherings. For others, the risk of contracting this illness is too great to even think about spending time around people outside of their households. This got me thinking about some other ways that we can continue to connect with others.

Viewing Parties: pick your favorite television show or movie to watch “with” someone else. Make a plan to start at the same time, and then call your friend afterwards to see what parts they enjoyed most.

Dinner Date: if you’re comfortable using video chat, you can plan a dinner (breakfast/lunch) date with a friend. You can get dressed up or stay casual, and share a meal while you catch up together. 

In-home Concert: if you’re the musical type, you can play your own instrument, or share your favorite song/band with a friend. You can send them the link to a song, or use video chat and play the song for them. There are also music events that you can watch/listen to online.

Arts & Crafts: whether you like to color, draw, build, etc., you can video chat with a friend while you both do something creative. You could even mail a picture you’ve colored to someone, and wait for them to send one back. 

Many of us are missing the people we care about, and I hope that these suggestions spark some ideas about how to stay connected with others.