It might've been because all my friends knew my daughter had flown out of the nest just before the holidays. It might be that we're all just getting a little older and sappier -- I don't know.
But whatever caused the avalanche of Thanksgiving techno love, I hope it's a "thing" that lasts. Did you get some, too?
I'm not talking about those e-cards with the hokey animations and midi music. Or a quick, "Have a great turkey day," text. I'm talking about real, heartfelt, carefully composed love notes from both close friends and old buds you'd been wondering about but hadn't reached out to yet. I hope you got some of that action over your way.
I mean, my friends raised the bar on this gratitude thing this year, using technology to say something real. In fact, they started early, with a flurry of "e-vites" to Thanksgiving dinner. Like they were all worried that I'd spend that day curled up in fetal position sucking my thumb or something, without my ex, my daughter and her boyfriend to cook turkey for.
And then the night before, said daughter used her cell phone to call me long distance every few minutes while she was shopping for her first fully independent Thanksgiving feast. I felt like I was there with her, running up and down the aisles trying to make sure we didn't forget anything. Way to make Mom feel wanted, kiddo. Well done.
When the day finally arrived, my first Outlook email was a message from a kindred spirit counting all the ways he loved me. He's a poet, so I shouldn't have been surprised that he'd damned near topped Elizabeth Barrett Browning in a few well chosen words. But the specificity of it, the fact that he'd said precisely what he valued and why... well, I had to sit back and catch my breath. I really did.
There was a constant stream of amazing emails, texts, voicemail messages -- some folks even sat down and dialed my number to actually talk for a few minutes. Or for an hour -- a 91-year-old aunt-in-law offered the last love "song" of the day. And she doesn't even like phones, that one.
I kept wondering how they were doing all that writing and dialing when they were supposed to be cooking and eating and watching all those parades and football games and whatnot. It just kept comin' the whole day: texts from my Hopi "sister," Facebook posts and chat messages from people I hadn't seen since grammar school days, direct tweets. All of them genuine "Remember that time," or "I really miss the way we used to..." or "Nobody makes me feel like you do" notes.
I could get used to this.
I'd already begun to notice an interesting trend in my circle of friends and family over the past two years or so. Even the younger folk don't "communicate" via cells and computers so much anymore. We use them to make dates to see each other or to talk by phone, in real time. In fact, it's hard to reach anyone by text or email or otherwise now.
Facebook still works a little bit, but not nearly as well. We post lots of links and photos and such, but fewer personal messages. We don't even listen to voicemail. If you really want us, you've got to keep trying 'til you get a real live person on the line.
Is this a "thing?" I mean real push back against "the machine?" Or just a momentary pause between technology growth spurts?
What do you say?
Photo credit: Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain