MOM-ents: Internet Friendships

I understand that technology is taking over our lives.  Everything in our world from baby monitors to smart phones has continuously changed throughout my life.  (I can remember my mom getting her first “mobile phone” and thought flying cars where right around the corner, technology-wise) 

For all the many ways that technology has made my life as a mother easier I am thankful, but the main reason I am thankful for technology is because it has enabled me to be a little less “sucky” as a friend. 

I can’t always answer my phone.  I understand there are some occupations where personal conversations can sometimes take place during the workday, but as a teacher it is impossible.  By the time I do get a little downtime (which takes place during a 20-minute drive home) all I want to do is zone out, listen to the radio, and lower my blood pressure in time to let my kids raise it back up upon my arrival. 

On that note, I can’t (or won’t, depending on who you believe) return phone calls in a timely manner because as previously mentioned, I can’t answer my phone at work, the ride to work is too early, and when I do have any sort of down time without a toddler hanging from my leg, I use it to do necessary things like shower, clean, or collapse.

Making plans and honoring commitments is something that I try my hardest to do, but with kids everything is on a day-to-day basis.  I can plan on going somewhere (especially during winter months) weeks in advance, be ready to walk out the door, and have a kid puke on me, poop on me, or both.  Fun’s over.  If kids are not welcome where we are invited or it is too short of notice, it makes it even harder.

This is where technology comes in.  I wake up an hour before I actually need to be up so that I can have my Facebook/e-mail/Trenton Patch/caffeine fix in a silent house.  When I am longing for a friend I haven’t seen in a while, I can click to their profile and cyber stalk what they have been up to.  I can send e-mails at 5:00 in the morning and the recipient can read and respond at their leisure.  I suppose I could use this time to call friends, but as not all of them have children, I think NOT calling at 5:00 a.m. is more thoughtful.

I am lucky to have a great little cluster of girlfriends that I am not interested in sharing.  I don’t talk to them on the phone all the time, and I don’t see them all of the time, and they definitely go out of their way to come see me more than I do them.  In exchange for this, I protect their hearts like they were my own  and if they were hurting or needed me I would be there (even if I was covered in puke or poop) and even if months/years/decades have gone by without a face-to-face conversation I know we will pick up right where we left off.  Because we always have.  And I thank technology for that.