Conversations That Count #100simplybravedays #day22

The past few days, I have been blessed with deep, meaningful conversations. Perhaps, the universe knows this is exactly what I am craving. Two Wednesdays ago, sweaty from a Zumba class, I dragged my gym bag and body to the shower room. There I saw my high school classmate, Myran. It has been more than 20 years since our high school graduation. Apart from momentary hello’s in the gym, we never had a chance to really catch up. But fresh from the shower classmate and sweaty me immediately bonded as we talked about parents and family. In minutes, tears were rolling down our eyes. A few days ago, over dinner, a friend and I caught up over a Caesar salad and two plates of pasta. Surrounded by trendy bags for sale in a café cum boutique, our talk turned serious. Lost in conversation, we didn’t even notice the restaurant was just waiting for us to leave. All the other customers had gone, and the waitresses were raring to mop the floors. Yesterday, a personal trainer was loading up on a high-protein meal after the morning workout next to me in the gym.. Before I knew it, we were talking about life. Today, I found myself hugging my dentist after a check-up. The conversation with her was much longer than the time spent in the dental chair. But I didn't mind one bit. Neither did she.

Close friends know that this extrovert talks to pretty much everyone. In minutes, I can get a stranger to open up about their lives. You can ask Larry the fruit vendor who gave me overripe bananas or the American sex therapist I met at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok waiting for connecting flight. I think of it my gift to make people feel at ease to share their stories. It is also gift to open up to share your story to another soul. Not everyone cares to listen. While there are billions of people in this world, we often don’t connect with the people around us. It is a comforting feeling to be heard. It is a powerful moment, when you sit next to your friend thinking, “Wow, you too feel that way….”, or “You mean it’s not just me feeling this way.”

"Can we just stop and talk a while? "

Our stories are sacred. Handle it with care. Opening up with our stories takes courage. But it is a powerful connection when you do to the right people. It is gift. I find much comfort in chatting with Isabel, my friend in Singapore. We often have exchanges on Viber or Facebook messenger. We always end our chat saying, “Thanks for listening.” Today was no different. I said thanks. It made me feel better. After the exchange of LOL’s and emoticons, and countless words between two writers, some how we both feel better after a chat.

While we say we crave food, or alcohol, I think deep down many of us simply crave honest, authentic conversations. It need not be an exchange of profound thoughts, but just a safe zone to open up, release the knot in our chest, and be heard. These conversations are like the universe giving you hug to let you know all shall be well. So dear universe, thanks for the wonderful conversations. And I’m giving you a great big hug, saying, "back at ya!"

Copyright.MaidaPineda2014.Follow me on Facebook/maidastouch, Instagram/themaidastouch and Twitter/themaidastouch