"I think this is how we are supposed to be in the world, present and in awe." -Anne Lamott
On Friday, I informed my kids of the chores that they had to complete on Saturday before they could have screen time. I performed my usual Saturday duties of giving my kids breakfast, cleaning and doing laundry. This was accompanied by an optometry appointment for my 9 year old and a trip to the store. All the while, the kids helped with cleaning with zero complaints, were well-behaved enough to all earn something from the treasure box at the optometrist's office, and didn't constantly want for things at the store. When we got home, my boys worked on their reading and writing as part of their chores while my 4 year old lay quietly on the couch beside me as I read a book. There was no noise from tablets or TV's; just the stillness of a quiet house along with the gentle hum of the refrigerator and constant ticking of the clock.
It was in this quiet that I longed for more time with the family, being unplugged, relaxed and feeding our minds with something more than video streaming and games. This quiet time allowed us to have very pleasant and meaningful conversation over lunch, incorporating discussion of the things we had spent the morning doing. These little moments of unplugged time brought new perspective and appreciation for the time that we spend together and the time we spend alone bettering ourselves, without the disruption of screentime. It was in this morning that I found the need to take more time to be present, unplugged, all the while marveling at the peace, serenity and knowledge that was gained.
