Reconnecting: The Importance of Friendships & Faith « Pain Management and Migraine Relief

An opportunity to see a dear friend of mine presented itself this weekend. I hadn’t seen her in over four years since she moved from New Jersey to Georgia. To see her, I needed to drive to Delaware where she was visiting family. I am so glad I had the chance to take that trip.

At first I was reluctant to travel due to a variety of issues, including physical limitations, but in the end I decided seeing my friend would be worth the effort.

My friend and I both suffer physical difficulties so we planned our time together with a lot of flexibility. We managed to travel into Baltimore Harbor and see some sights and enjoy some great food. We didn’t push it. In fact, I was pro-active and put in an extra set of clothes right below my heating pad in my suitcase. I was determined to be prepared in case I needed to stay an extra night…and it turned out to be a good thing because I did indeed need to take the extra time and use it to relax with meds and pad after the events of the busy day. But it was worth it.

We had a wonderful time. Over the couple days, we talked like teenagers for hours about all the different things we had encountered over the past four years. We also enjoyed laughing at some of the crazy things we remembered as colleagues and coworkers. It was all good.

Our faith is very important to us and we found a place to worship Sunday morning before I headed home. While driving back, I had time to contemplate the importance of reconnecting with friendships and faith. All relationships take work. And it is important to make the effort to nurture them. I came home feeling refreshed. Although I may have physical discomforts, this past weekend was needed and deserved and I am thankful I made the right decision and went. It raised my spirits and added energy to my coping reserves which have been tested.

If you have a close friend or family you haven’t seen in a while, find some way to reconnect. A phone call, a visit, an email, whatever way you can, reach out and make that connection. Perhaps your faith has been challenged. Seek to reconnect with that part of your life. Find positive people to be around and among. It will help you build strength and coping energy to deal with the painful areas and conditions you may have in your life.