OPINION: Don’t forget to call your mom

During these trying times, we often let time slip by all too quickly. The daily monotonous tasks of work and school consistently fill up my schedule. Weeks will go by before I take a step back and wonder when was the last time I called my mom?  

When I left for the first day of college nearly two years ago, I was ecstatic to take a step away from my parental figures. I was less excited to say goodbye to my friends but eager to see where the world would take me away from them. Hell, I never called my brother.  

I didn’t do it maliciously. Or because I didn’t NOT want to talk to them. I just let time pass by and before I knew it, months had passed without any contact to those who matter most to me.  

Yeah, it’s cool to be an adult. It’s even cooler to have an adult relationship with friends and parents. It took me a long to realize that.  

When COVID-19 first knocked at our doors over a year ago, I moved back home with mom. I lived with her and solely her for 3 months, my siblings and friends I never or rarely saw due to the pandemic.  

That short experience gave me some much-needed perspective. I can either choose to find staying in contact with my parents and friends as a chore or see it as a blessing.  

A lot of people, especially during the era of COVID-19, had no one to reach out to. While I don’t fully understand that kind of lonely feeling, I can only imagine the pain. Having my mom or dad to call is practically the cornerstone of my stability. Facetiming an old friend or two is a sure-fire way to cheer me up. Texting my brother is texting my brother, simple enough.  

These relationships are the ones that shaped you into the person you are today. They’re going to keep shaping you. Kicking them to the curb will do you more damage than not.  

Don’t get it twisted. There’s no need to call your mom three times a week. Hell, even twice a week is too much. There’s probably not enough going on in your life to update your old friends weekly. Maybe monthly.  

All that being said, nurturing these relationships as you continue to grow is practice for the real world. Sad to say that I won’t live in a house full of 40 people 10 years from now. My daily human contact will probably drastically decrease as the years pass.  

Having those mature relationships with people who live thousands of miles away is pivotal to a healthy way of life. Don’t drop the ball now by not taking that step to give your mom a call. Or anyone who matters to you, for that matter. I’m more than positive that they miss you just the same.  

If you’re less concerned with maintaining relationships, at least text your mom sometimes. She’s probably worried about you.  

Carter Kolpitcke can be reached at [email protected]