Call home!

It was 1982. I was in the Navy and living in the Philippines. I still remember the call.

With a twelve-hour time difference between Manila and Washington DC, it was a surprise to hear my father’s voice on the other end of the phone line. Yes, phones used to have cords that connected them to the wall.

Dad knowing my love for current events and politics started the conversation.
“Mary, good politicians know to keep their constituents informed. If you want your mother to be able to support you, you’d be well advised to drop her a line every once in a while.”

In the pre iPhone era, not being in touch with my parents meant weeks if not months of no contact from me. My mother of course faithfully sent me letters every week. So ouch! Yes, so true in the midst of exciting new adventures to remember to reach out to my parents and let them know I was alive and well.

Last week, I was housing, feeding and working with our student intern team. They had been on the road since August and about to embark on the international portion to serve with their peers at three international Communicators for Christ events. As part of guiding them, one of their assignments was to call home (voice call not text) before they began the 30-hour trip. Of course, in this day and age, the ability to get in contact with anyone is fast and easy but that doesn’t translate to any change in the way a younger person engaged in an exciting new adventure thinks about letting their parents know they are doing okay!!!

That same week after getting this student team on the plane, I made a visit to my mother. I decided to “call home”. These days because of my mother’s hearing and memory loss, calling home is an in-person visit. Even with these losses, these visits are like an anchor to her. In many ways, it is the “alive and well” checkpoint of long ago. Now not so much for a mom to a child, but for me with my mom. In the midst of that visit while sitting next to her I received a call from an unknown number. I recognized the city and country in a way that let me know it was likely from my son currently deployed in a remote location so I picked it up. I was glad for my hunch, I heard his voice.

“Hey mom, you likely could tell I haven’t answered your emails. It’s pretty busy here and I can’t really reply but I wanted you to know I’m okay and getting settled into my new work.

Oh my, how so few words can make a mom feel so glad to hear them.

If you can, while you can, call home.