A New Memory is Ready for You

‘A new memory is ready for you. Remember this day ten years ago.’ 

A Google photo notifications alert hit my iPhone. 10 years ago - Jenna requested an NBA jersey-themed party, and we invited our other English teacher friends to our home.

‘Can you believe this happened ten years ago? How’s your newborn?’ The reconnection was quick, warm, and an exciting reminder of the good ole days. 

‘We should do this more often,’ we agree as the call ends and promise to keep in touch. No matter how many years go by,  reconnecting again felt like no time had passed, just like we had left off. 

Due to the pandemic, everyone is redefining their needs and priorities. 

When people were too busy with their career-driven goals, there was less time allocated to maintaining and building relationships and connections. 

In the search for a new sense of belonging, a new normal emerges. 

Images and ads of retreats flood my social media. Flashes of ‘find your tribe’ and ‘reconnect and disconnect with strangers are popping up everywhere from Istanbul to Oaxaca.  A journey to find your tribe and belong, which often translates to a lush vacation with a group of strangers. 

Instead of searching for new connections, why not strengthen the ones you already have? 

The connections we desire are closer than we think.

Here are some ideas: 

- Initiate the conversation.

Here’s a simple message to initiate a warm, thoughtful message. Replace the bold parts with your personal experiences. Top Tip: Create a specified date and time instead of leaving it open-ended.

Hey Emily,

You’ll never believe what popped up in my memories today. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since we met in Australia. I wonder what ever happened to the rest of the crew from the steak house. I was reading an article today about studying abroad, and it reminded me of the last conversation we had. Did you ever take your students on that European tour?

It would be great to catch up soon! I’m still in Europe this month, so what about noon this Thursday, your timezone? I can do it another time this week. Let me know what works best. I cannot wait to hear about your new house!

Check out this picture, hope it makes you laugh!

Love always,

Kelly

A call. A text. Or a small emoji waving ‘hello.’ 

Try it out and see how you both feel from reconnecting.

Think of a past roommate, a friend from studying abroad, or even a family member that would love to hear from you. 

Use the reminder as a prompt to connect, but don’t wait for the notification to push you.