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Today I was chatting with a friend (she knows who she is) that I hadn't talked to in a while. Usually I email her every few weeks, or we talk, or text or something, but it's been a few months*. So, first, it was fantastic to chat with her. But during our conversation we were talking about how long it had been and my friend said how much she appreciated my patience with her because she's not such an emailer**. Quite frankly? That's fine with me.

I love getting emails from friends, but I don't necessarily want them to email me right back. When I email them after 3 months and the next day they have responded, 1) I don't have anything new to tell them and 2) I haven't cycled through all my email peeps, and since I just wrote to them, they are now at the end of the list***. All of you who have apologized so profusely and sincerely that it has taken so long for you to write back to me? Gold star. Thank you for delaying long enough that I don't feel super overwhelmed and mentally buried beneath an email mountain. You're great.

This problem is not so bad with friends. I mean, if they do write back the next day, and they are my friend, I know they aren't going to hate me forever for not writing the next day. But at work, an immediate response is the worst. I respond to emails because I want the problem or the question or the whatever to be dealt with and off my plate. So, when someone replies back within 24 hours, I'm not thrilled. I just want to be done!!! Sigh. Work email. What sadist came up with it?!***

Anyway, to all my friends who are waiting around for me to write them, I promise: I haven't forgotten you, I still love you, and I'm going to write you. I'm just doing you a favor and giving you some time before you have to write back to me so that you don't have to be stressed. Cuz I'm cool like that.

Yeah.*****

*Look, I changed jobs at work, it was the holidays, yeah, yeah, no excuses, I know.
**In fairness, I have ulterior motives. My emails to her are basically my journal, so if I didn't write them, I would have no history.  
***Theoretically. It's not a real list. That's waaay too organized.
****I'm not the only one thinking this. There are articles in credible publications about this problem. 
*****But please do write whenever you want! Even if it's the next day. Really! I don't mind!