Built-in Radar
As for me, I have it. Frequently. And I know how to use it.
What is it? It's that built-in radar. You know, the one that nags at you, in the darkest corners of your mind, telling you that something just isn't right, and TODAY, you simply MUST call or message that certain someone to see if they are okay. Even a simple text, pretending you are just saying hi, but you are really looking for any sign of life.
Recently, I had a big case of it. We went out of town for a few days, and upon our return, an urge came over me. I felt a strong need to call a friend...not MY friend, well, not DIRECTLY my friend. My hubby's friend...which, by all rights, MAKES him my friend, as well. It had been quite some time since hubby had spoken to his friend, and I had not heard his voice on our answering machine, either. So, while hubby was away for the morning, the urge grew stronger, and I gave in and called our friend.
I am SO GLAD I DID. He had been in a pretty horrible accident in the time that we had been gone, and was lucky to be alive. He's not the type to ask for anything, so I know he wouldn't have called us, which makes me even more relieved that my radar was functioning properly. Hubby was able to go visit him a couple of days later, and hearing about the injuries and circumstances of the accident choked me up. The "what if"s flooded my mind...I've managed to keep them at bay, but they still try to creep in. This is a person that we love dearly, and has had a huge presence in our lives, as well as our children's lives. Life without him would never be the same. There would be an enormous void that could never be filled. Ever.
Now you know what built-in radar is, and what it can do for you.
Next, I am going to tell you about how it has affected me in another way.
I'm very lucky to have some friends who also have built-in radar. Whether they realize what they have, I'm not sure. Some may just think they are being polite, and that the timing is just a coincidence. It's completely possible that THAT is the case. I like to think their radar is on, and alerting them.
It seems like a rarity that I get text messages these days, and it IS. With Twitter, Facebook, Email, blogs, etc., it is seldom I get a text that is TRULY a text, and not a DM alert from Twitter.
There are days when things go wrong...not necessarily HORRIBLY wrong, but sometimes that IS the case. Either way, I usually only divulge my smaller challenges to the public. My bigger challenges remain my own, and most never have a clue that they exist. Knowing this, I can't help but think that the radar has been ratting me out lately. Just when I feel like I may crack under the pressure of a stressful situation, I get an amazing text message or email from a friend (sometimes from multiple friends, within moments of each other...friends that are complete strangers to one another), checking in to see how I am doing, and sending me a virtual hug, without knowing I needed it RIGHT AT THAT VERY MOMENT.
So, let me take a moment to say "THANK YOU!". You know who you are. And you've brought the sunshine back to me in a moment where I thought it had ceased to exist. That little "hello" reminded me that there is still at least ONE person that is thinking of me, and would have missed me, had I never replied.
This week, I had an extremely big challenge, and I am not ready to share it...it's too fresh, and I am still hurting and shaking from it. Thank you for not prying. But thank you MORE for sending me that message and reminding me that someone else is thinking of me, and hoping that all is well in my world. It brought tears to my eyes, and inspired me to talk about our built-in radar. Even if it DID take me a couple of days to allow my head to stop spinning, and form a reply.
It reminds me of watching TV shows when an officer radios in "Officer down", but instead, the radar is flashing in big, bold letters:
FRIEND DOWN!
Listen to your radar.
3 comments:
Hope everything is ok. I sometimes have a radar, and sometimes not - or it's just off. :)
I need me some of that built in radar, I'm completely oblivious to everything :). I swear that inside my head probably resembles something similar to a foggy Monterey day.
I have great intuition for when a situation is off (like when we almost got robbed in Brazil), but not the radar that you're talking about. THAT is a wonderful thing to have! You're friends are very lucky to have you.
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