“People are starving for genuine relationships, a sense of belonging, and a feeling of being known and understood,” writes Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer in his book “Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection”. “Such relationships are hard to build by email, and even in person.”

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s once again that time of year when we give thanks for all the good things in our lives and express our gratitude to the important people in our lives. In this time of Thanksgiving, we should strive to remember our friends. Even the most thoughtful of us can let important relationships slip by the wayside, and we can lose track of people who were once the best of friends. 

Most of us learned how to make and maintain friends the old-fashioned way: handshakes, parties, membership in groups like Gamma Epsilon, real-time and in-person. However, as social media grows we slip further and further behind its curtain. Even at our jobs we rely on email and text and have meetings and conferences over computer screens and microphones.

In this increasingly technologically dominated world, it is easy to lose track of those we care about. It is even easier to forget just how meaningful our in-person relationships were to us.

Making an effort for more face-to-face encounters almost seems daunting, especially for the younger alumni among us; but it’s necessary. Start by thinking about the best times you had at Gamma Epsilon. Are these memories of text messages or social media posts? Of course not. They involve real friends and real-life events.

What’s stopping you from using that electronic device to plan more real-life memories? 

Our alumni organization EXIST to help you to get more ACTUAL facetime with friends and Sisters. 

• Attend Homecomings and reunions!
• Plan mini-reunions with your pledge class or best friends
• See which alumni are living in your area and plan a meet-up at a local bar or coffee shop

Our website allows us to stay in touch with all of our Gamma Epsilon Sisters by providing the ability to share information about our lives. Drop us a line and share some news, tell us who you’d like to reconnect with, or throw out a suggestion for the next Gamma Epsilon get-together. 

Life is too short to spend it on a screen. Don’t wait. Make a commitment to reconnect face-to-face before this year ends, and give thanks to those friends who made you the person you are today.