Constant contact.

I believe we are all connected. Our spirits, our hearts, our laughter and our tears. And now, through technology, we seem to crave constant contact. From old friends to new obsessions, we are able to find what we are looking for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s wonderful when you need a definition but not so great when you’re sharing a meal with someone who’s got an addiction to their device of choice.

I remember being a small child and having that personal connection with my parents, sister and friends. We got out of the house and visited family on weekends. Neighborhood friends would ring our doorbell and ask us to come OUT and play. We had people over just because we felt like it. We celebrated each other’s birthdays with an actual gift and card that could be held by hand. They were signed by hand too, usually IN CURSIVE!!! Shocking, I know. But that’s how we connected.

As we got a little older, I was lucky enough to live with the human version of google. My sis just remembered stuff. Anyone’s birthday she ever met. Anyone who ever played in a movie. The name of “that thing mom makes that I love with the nuts and the other stuff…” And when we branched out on our own, I called her several times a day for random stuff I didn’t know. I could have asked someone else, I could have looked it up, but I didn’t want to. We just had that connection. And as with google, I rarely had to finish my sentence before she had the answer. I preferred going to her and I came to rely on those conversations. It felt like we had constant contact and I liked that.

But now? People seem too “busy” to truly connect. Honestly, my kid and I have sent texts to each other FROM THE SAME HOUSE! Like we just can’t even be bothered to walk down the hall? Can’t even do an old fashioned shout? Nope. That’s convenient, but not quite convenient ENOUGH. We use google to settle arguments and use Alexa and Siri to do just about everything else. We shop online, learn online, watch tv online and even date online (insert eye roll here). We order up groceries, pizza, and Uber’s all with the click of an app. The world is LITERALLY at our fingertips! And as much as I love it, I hate it.

Today I took a stand. I sat my phone down and set aside a couple of 20 minute increments to answer business questions and such. Then, I cleaned, played with my daughter, made brownies with her, danced with her, laughed with her, gave her a bath, and just looked her in the eyes during every moment we shared. It. Was. AWESOME! My mood was so much lighter. When we went out to care for animals, we took our time and talked about each thing as we did it. She was learning the importance of what we did rather than rushing through a chore so we could get back to a movie or game. I never sat her in front of a screen so that I could get in front of my own. So liberating! I don’t have to be a slave to the outside world. I don’t need constant contact with them!

My children may want constant contact with me right now (the younger ones anyway) and maybe I can’t always give them that. BUT!!! I can certainly give them my undivided attention and put the [de]vices down! The one I truly need constant contact with is my Heavenly Father. Talk about a gut check! And I don’t need WiFi to message Him! I have prayed for an answer to true inner peace for so long, and He kept pointing me in this direction. Today was so awesome that I spoke to my husband about implementing some changes. My family is going to start putting our phones away on Sundays. We will probably answer calls but not texts, emails or social media because we won’t be physically holding them. Today brought me a great deal of peace and brought my family a happier me! My goal is to not even reach for my phone first thing in the morning… or at least open one of my 5 bible apps instead!

John 14:27