Then Vs. Now (Continued from earlier posts)

A Phone Conversation-

Then:

You call your friend to see what is new and chat on endlessly about whatever happens to be on your minds. You laugh, you gasp, and you may even gossip, and after twenty to thirty minutes of meaningful conversation, you agree to get together soon and end the call amicably and of your own free will.

Now:

After three days of runny noses, no naps, and five consecutive temper tantrums, you finally find some time to return your friend’s call while the kids seem distracted by a television show and some sugary snack you’d sworn you’d never let them eat.

You complain about your exhaustion, your child’s most recent phase, and your waistline, all while preparing dinner, picking up toys, and trying to figure out what the heck is stuck to the refrigerator door.

After 2:31 minutes have passed you find yourself yelling to your friend that you should get together soon so long as the occasion can take place after bedtime and without the need to wear any stain-free, pressed clothes. Oh, and you are yelling because the window of free time is up and you now have one child demanding juice and the other attached to your knee or hip as they try to grab at the phone.
You hang up the phone unsure of what you just talked about and with whom you just spoke.