(Editor's Notes by Christina Myer - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

There’s a lot about modern technology that has earned criticism. But one potential positive is the ability to stay in touch with those we might otherwise lose track of.

I had a chance before Christmas to meet up with a friend — quite literally for five minutes — at a mid-point location that let us exchange Christmas gifts. This is NOT a friend with whom there’s any danger of losing touch. She’s one of a couple of people I communicate with multiple times almost every day.

But when I saw her face, I realized — holy mackerel, we haven’t seen each other face to face in more than a year!

It didn’t feel that way. I knew which errands she’d had to run the day before because we’d been commiserating. But meeting in person renewed our determination to not go another full year without seeing each other — maybe even for a weekend we can rope another friend into as well.

So, on that count, thank goodness for the ability to feel as connected as possible to dear friends who live far enough away and have busy enough lives that waaayyy too much time can pass between get-togethers.

Still, it should be a resolution of mine to get back to more regular visits with her and a few others.

I suppose I should also resolve to eat healthier, move more (although I don’t do a terrible job of that already), do a better job supporting causes that are important to me, and be kinder and more empathetic.

If you asked others, they might suggest I should also stop saying “yes” to projects and tasks that keep my plate fuller than the one from which I’ll be eating all the healthy food. I can’t help it. I never understood the expression “if you want something done, ask a busy person,” until I became one. And technology makes a difference on that front, too.

I’ve switched from a large purse to a backpack with the need to tote around my laptop (and all its gadgets and cords) and several file folders. The physical weight is no problem, but sometimes the mental load gets a little heavy.

And then someone else will say “Hey, what are you doing Sunday afternoon?” And my response is not “Anything but what you’re about to ask,” but rather “I can probably squeeze in something.”

Those friends I mentioned have similar lives (that part of our personality might be why we’ve remained so close). In fact, I’ve noticed the same pattern in a few friends and colleagues lately. Give them one evening of not having much to do every couple of weeks or so and they are able to hit the reset button and keep moving.

Thank goodness for longer holiday breaks when the reset needs to be just a little deeper. Thank goodness for friends who are always just a few taps of the screen away. Thank goodness for work worth doing; and colleagues worth doing it with.

As we begin another year to do it all over again, thank goodness for hope — being better is possible. I’m going to give it a try.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com.