Throughout our lives we say goodbye to people– voluntarily or not. But there are always those with whom you want to keep in touch, so here are some tips on ways to keep communication connections open.
The first resource everyone these days thinks of is Facebook. It can be used for more than just to restore old friendships, which was its original purpose, to bring everyone back together. Almost everyone in this decade has one and if you just search you can most likely find anyone. Take advantage of the social networks out there! Twitter, MySpace, MyYearbook…. any of these will help you find old acquaintances or friends.
Write letters
While no one does this anymore, I find this process more intimate and personal. Yes, I know, it’s old fashioned but there’s something about sending and receiving letters that appeals to me. So, those who agree with me, this is a great way to keep in touch. Don’t know how to start? Don’t be afraid of sounding boring. Tell them how you’re doing, what’s going on in your life, or how school/work is. In high school, my friends and I used to write letters to each other and put them into each other’s lockers. We would put random words in random places around the page that only we would understand. Inside jokes are a good thing to write about in your letters also. It’s fun and exciting getting mail!
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Send gifts and cards
Sometimes there doesn’t need to be an occasion to send a friend a card. Whenever my friends were upset I would always want to cheer them up so I made cards for them. I’ve also bought cards that were blank inside but had an uplifting quote on the front. Gifts don’t have to be anything big; they can be something small and meaningful. Is your friend a bookworm? How about a unique bookmark or a gift card to his/her favorite bookstore.
Skype and Oovoo
There’s a wonderful invention called a webcam! Why not use it? are great video chat providers. (Warning: Oovoo has a limit to the amount of free minutes you can use.) Over breaks and the summer I use Skype to keep in touch with friends who don’t live in my immediate area. This is a lot better than just texting. You can actually see the person, so for those who don’t like talking over the phone, here’s a great alternative.
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Call often
The reason I’ve put this on the end of the list is because people now a day don’t often want to talk over the phone. If you’re one of these people then instead of texting a friend you’re outside their house or that you’re on your way: call them! It’s just a little way you let them know you’re taking the time to actually talk to them.
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Even those who you haven’t talked to in a few weeks are still your friends. Relationships do require some maintenance.
What are the ways you keep in touch with people? Do you have a preference?
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A special note from Brittany…
As my final article for HerCampusäRider I would like to let the team I work with know how awesome they are. It’s really hard saying goodbye to those who’ve given me the opportunity to do what I love. The women who I work with are an amazing and talented group that I’m proud to be a part of. Even though I won’t be a student at Rider I will keep promoting and reading the articles. I’m sure in the future they’ll be successful and still as amazing as I see them.
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