Phone Home!

In this age of email, text and instant messages, it is easy to forget the power of your voice. It is easy to forget the simplicity and impact of a phone call. We are spoiled by the instant connections we make online. Spoiled by the ability to tell the world what we are doing by updating our statuses on Facebook and Twitter. It is easy to forget that your family isn’t necessarily interested in observing your life 140 characters at a time. They want more. They want you. They want to hear your voice.

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE…

AT&T had it right too. A phone call has the ability to touch someone in a way that few other forms of communication can. Voice is powerful. Voice has tone, nuances and inflections that can never be conveyed as richly in the written word. I have written how my kids and I text each other constantly, even when we are all at home, but this Thanksgiving I was reminded how important phone calls are too.

MINUTES THAT LAST FOREVER…

For the first time in many years, my kids and I stayed home in Florida this year, while the rest of our family was elsewhere (New York and Mexcio). As we were in the car, driving to the Biltmore Hotel for our Thanksgiving dinner (yeah, instead of making Turkey we made reservations… so sue me!) we made a point to call the kids’ grandparents to wish them Happy Thanksgiving. To me it seemed like no big deal, and the appropriate thing to do, but as I heard the kids talk to their grandparents I could hear the love and joy in the voices of their grandfathers and grandmother. When they told me how much they appreciated hearing from the kids and how wonderful it was to speak with them I realized that emailing pictures is not enough. My kids need to call their grandparents more frequently, and as parents, it is our job to make sure our kids actively connect with family members that are not in our town. All three of my kids have their own mobile phones and I am going to encourage them to use them as they were originally intended, for voice calls, especially when it comes to staying in touch with family members. They can text their friends, but they need to start calling their relatives.

How about you? Do you make sure your kids regularly speak with out of town relatives? Voice your opinions in the comments! Or give me a call!

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 20, Ethan, 18 and Olivia, 17).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

Photo Credit: James Steidl