Telemarketing calls. We’ve all gotten them and most of the time it takes only a second to end the call and the interruption. Today my phone rang and when I picked it up and glanced at the screen my heart stopped. It was a number that I didn’t recognize but the location was Cincinnati, Ohio. Instantly, I felt a wave of panic wash over me. My dearest friend lives in southern Ohio and Cincinnati would be the nearest major city to her. That would be where she would have been taken if there were a medical emergency… or worse. She is older and lives alone in a senior community. Her children know how close we are and would call me if something had happened, but I wouldn’t know the number, just that it came from Cincinnati.
In the next millisecond, my mind began racing through random thoughts. Could it be her? Is it about her? Can I get there in time? Was our last email really our last email? Now my heart was taking the reins and putting all rational thoughts in check. How can my life go on without her? But then my brain jumped back in the lead. Maybe it’s just a wrong number? Sure, that’s it, a wrong number, I tried to convince myself as I answered. The sound I was emitting didn’t even resemble my voice. I paused.
Finally, the recording started and I felt the weight of the world lift from my chest. But almost as quickly as relief had come, I felt my face turn red with heat as I became angry and annoyed at this needless event. I was indignant. How dare they invade my day and cause me such a moment of worry! Then I heard a more reasonable voice in my head, but it wasn’t my own, saying, “But it wasn’t her or about her. Be thankful that it was a telemarketer and be even more thankful that you have such a dear friend in your life. And beyond that, why don’t you take a second and tell her how much you love her and appreciate her?” I smiled as I thought to myself, “Yes Dad, I promise I will be more thankful and also that I will talk to her today.”
Life is short and tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. So today I chose to take that “annoying” telemarketer call and turn it into something good and useful. Today it was a reminder to tell a person in my life how much she means to me. I’ll share this story with her and we will both chuckle at the irony of it. Our friendship began when we were both working at a telemarketing company many years ago. So maybe today’s call was about God’s sense of humor or maybe it was just my good fortune to be presented with an opportunity to see yet another example of just how wonderful my life is thanks to my amazing family and friends. Either way, Janet, your email is on the way!