This week’s project was a little more difficult than last week. This week I decided to reach out to five different people that I have either lost touch with or failed to message in a long time. I found it hard to know who to start a conversation with, but there were people who I have wanted to reconnect with for a while, so I used this week’s challenge as a motivator to just go for it.
I started small. One of my cousins from Ireland sent me a picture of us when we were kids. I decided to use that as a conversation starter to find out what’s going on with him and what he’s been up to. He had spent three months in Thailand and is now back in Ireland saving up for his next trip, so he was giving me lots of travel and life advice as I am planning on graduating university this semester. After talking to him I thought of another cousin who lives in Ireland. She let me stay with her the first time I ever went over there and went out of her way to make me feel welcome, so I messaged her on Instagram. It turns out her and her husband are trying to organize a trip to Toronto, so I was able to help her plan the best tourist destinations to visit while she’s here.
Next I thought of friends that I had lost touch with. One girl I had grown up with shared a photo of her and her family on Instagram, so I sent her a message saying that I hoped she was doing well and that I missed her. She instantly replied and it was nice to catch up on each other’s lives. I also messaged a girl who I had been very close with in high school. Once university began, we slowly grew apart and I always feel disappointed that we didn’t make more of an effort to maintain our friendship. While it felt different talking to her again since our relationship has changed, it was interesting to see what she’s doing now and what her future plans are. She even suggested meeting when I arrive home from my trip to Ireland, which is something I hope we will have the opportunity to do.
I couldn’t think of a fifth person that I was “out of touch with”, so I sent my grandma a text. I see her almost every Sunday, but I hardly ever message her throughout the week. I thought she might appreciate a message from me, since I am not able to visit her as often as she would like me too.
This week’s challenge pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I am a shy person, so I often struggle to initiate conversation. However, each person I contacted was someone that I wanted to maintain a connection with, so using this challenge as a motivator to force myself to reach out to them was definitely worthwhile. It enabled me to learn really interesting aspects of other people’s lives that I may not have been able to be part of without initiating those conversations.
The Kindness Countdown 