Dear Friend,

I am sorry if you have felt detached from me, or that I am neglecting our friendship. I assure you that this has not been intentional at all. In fact, I'm not sure what it is about me, that stops me from keeping up with you, because when I don't I feel incredibly lonely and sad. You would think that my loneliness would be enough to motivate me to be better about being in touch.

I'm sorry.

I miss you. I miss your voice. I miss your hugs. I miss hanging out with you. I miss being silly and laughing with you. I miss the way you get me in just the way only you can. I miss knowing what's going on in your life and hearing about the cute guy you tripped in front of, or the great deal you snagged on a new sweater, or the way your one-year-old laughed so hard milk came out his nose.

Please know that my lack of (or sporadic) communication in no ways reflects how much I care about you, how much you mean to me, how much I need you.

I wish that the thought of a telephone call didn't leave me feeling overwhelmed and breathless. I wish that I could go back to those teenage years of being so comfortable on the phone that it's like an added appendage. I wish that I was a better letter writer, email updater, and phone conversationalist. I wish I could remind myself that I don't need a three-hour window of time to chat with you, even a quick two-minute hello is enough.

I want you to know that I think of you often. I want you to know that you are important to me, even if I have a horrible way of showing it. I want you to know that I appreciate your friendship and am here for you, even if it's been ages since we last spoke.

I want you to know that I miss you.

My dear friend, you have a special place in my heart. Always. And I just wanted to make sure that you knew that.

xoxo, christine