You are thought of.
This morning I got a text message which made me pause and think. It said "
When someone messages you, don't think ki isko sms free hai to kar raha hai but think that he gives 1 minute of his life for remembering you. Stay connected.Good morning"
(For my non hindi speaking friends, it translates to don't think that the person is texting you simply because he has free texts)
It really made an impact on me and made me go "how true." ( Of course, I replied back immediately). It is true that no matter however silly the message (many a time forwarded) is, fact is the person has indeed spent a few seconds to send you the message. For those few seconds, you were remembered and thought of.
I wondered if most people who got a message like this would dismiss it as just another forward or would it make them think, like it made me think. I sent the message to fifteen of my friends.
Only four replied back. The replies were almost instant too.
Three out of those are my closest pals, my 3.a.m friends ( I can wake them up at 3.00 a.m if I really needed), or 'forever friends' (sometimes clichés describe it best), the ones I can depend on, no matter what, the ones I can trust with all my secrets, the ones I can call up and cry on the phone to (yeah, I have done that) , the ones who completely understand me, the ones I am fairly certain will be there for me, and probably the ones who complete bits and pieces of me.
All the three of the above had something more to say than a mere acknowledgement of the message. (And even the acknowledgement had not happened with the other eleven. Perhaps they are too busy with their lives to respond to 'forwards').
Just makes me feel grateful and fortunate to have the 'forever friends'.
And it also makes me think a lot more about 'forwarding forwards' and responding back.
nice one.
ReplyDeleteWow--I never thought of it this way....I do read every emails and forwards but dont make it a point to forward them thinking that someone elses inbox will be filled..................... hmmmmmm......shd atleast forward funny ones and reply to those who send it. :)
ReplyDelete--Seema
wat is tat message ?? ;)I indeed forward a lot of messages hope some at least see tat , but truly i wont care whether they see it r ot but i feel wat i meant in that message from bottom of my heart...
ReplyDeleteHv a nice day :)
you are lucky and blessed to have 3a.m and forever friends. I too feel nice when i get messages, but unfortunately don't forward/ reply back. It definitely does not mean I don't care but somethings i feel goes without telling.
ReplyDeleteYes...I do get some good forwards but miss to reply to it! Am not gonna do that anymore!
ReplyDeleteI don't reply to the forwarded messages I get as well...Must reply immediately!
ReplyDeleteLucky you to have such good friends - both 3 a.m friends and friends forever. Sometimes we really dont think of the person who sent it and just ignore the text saying, 'Just another message, aur koyi kaam nahin hai kay!'. Nice, thought provoking post...
ReplyDeleteSo true. sometimes a message from one old friend makes such a difference that they dont even realize that they made me smile. And sometimes wen I dont receive replies, coz of the expectations I have with my friends, I feel sad. Small things make big difference, but we realize them less.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Interesting. Though here we differ. I have a policy of not sending forwards. Though I personally reply to forwards like these because obviously, they were thinking of you when they decided to send it to you. And that's sweet.
ReplyDeleteInteresting term '3 AM friends'. Very proud of my bunch :)
There is an option of Select All and send:0 So, the theory of that person thinking of you for a second doesn't work for me. I will be sure if I receive a forward with my name and a personalized message:)
ReplyDeleteUntil then, its just a forward.
Lovely... Yes, it is so true. Even if they are sending it to you, with an evil grin on their face, the fact is that they did think of you.
ReplyDeletethelittlesasi: yes true!
ReplyDeletePrathima: I have about 650 people in my contacts list on my phone. I definitely do not send to all 650 :)(so sending to 15 out of those still translate to the ones I sent being 2.3 out of 100 ) :) To each their own. I am grateful if I am remembered and thought of .
Sucheta: I send select messages only to a select few not to all :)
Listener: very true.
Pia: yes--sometimes when I am busy I also do not respond immediately. But later if it is thought provoking i do.
Caterpillar: I dont reply to all but some just warrant a reply.
Gopikaa: I also dont reply to all. But later I may forward them a nice joke I got.
ReplyDeleteAsha: i guess--but sometimes the other person feels great when they hear it too :)
Nischii: What message? i typed out the text in the post.
Horizon: I also may not respond to every single text i get but if it mde me smile I do :)
Mihir: thanks! Howz the snow in UK? My kids are missing it!
Hi Preeti,
ReplyDeleteI guess you have just started with fwding sms in India:) People keep groups like "forwarding friends", "Do not forward" . So select a group and send that's the time it takes :)
However, I am glad that you think of each person while forwarding. Do not want to be spoiled sport, but it might not be the other way around:)
Prathima: of course I am aware of groups and I do have groups of 'family' , 'good friends' and 'friends' and other groups too.The point here made was in context of this specific message (asking to stay connected) to see if people thought about sms they received. In the end it all boils down to how you look at it. Some people are grateful for small things and appreciate them. (like sunsets and flowers) To others it may seem so silly to appreciate a flower or sunset (after all it happens everyday). Thank you for taking so much time to read , anaylyse, clarify and reply to whatever I write. ;-) Am grateful :-)
ReplyDeletei had recieved dis msg...n i lyk many othrs deleted it...nw dat u hav reminded me of dat...its gr8 to go down da memory lane...!
ReplyDeleteHi Preeti,
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog regularly. It's my pleasure to comment on the things you write here:-)
Few things we agree on and few things we do not . isn't it;-)
Believe it or not, I reply to Rajnikant jokes too :)
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ a wee bit, don't be harsh on the ones that don't reply to forwards, coz believe it or now, they do take the time to read and smile (even while driving!) and out of 10 forwards they definitely reply to one and ask their amazing friends to continue sending them.
So there! :)
Sparkling: Oh no--not being harsh at all--not even judging..was just an experiment to see :)
ReplyDeleteVarun: I don't reply to all but if its really funny i do.
Prathima: I think its the first time you're commenting? Glad the post made you delurk and thanks for following.
Shalaka: yup--i guess it was doing the rounds.
I always reply to forwarded sms and makes me feel good too..But I feel very sad when people(read forever friends at least I thought they were) don't even respond to messages that you sent them not forwards but personalized messages asking them how they are doing....I keep thinking may be they are not sms savvy but then next thing you see that they sent you some forward...That really makes me think if they should be in my friend list or not..
ReplyDeleteI guess I expect them to at least acknowledge my presence by replying when I sent them a message forwarded or not...
This post touched a raw nerve for me,so I had to reply...This is also related to I was busy reply I get from so called friends when you confront them later about not replying...
Gosh I can go on and on....Let me just stop here now...