We’re all guilty of it. That moment of sheer panic when you are just about arriving at your destination and you realize…you forgot your phone. Your lifeline. How on earth could you possibly eat the dinner you’re about to have without the ability to instagram it? How many emails will pile up between now and the time you get home from the grocery store?
All jokes aside; I get it. My phone is like my right arm. We really do need them for work and to keep in touch with families and stay organized in our busy schedules. But—How much is too much?
The other day I was at the park with a dear friend and both of our children. We noticed an adorable little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years old sitting on the swing as her father pushed her. She was babbling on and on about a dog, a pony, and ice cream happily as her clicked through his blackberry, absent-mindedly pushing her with the other hand. Slowly, the little girl picked up on the fact that he wasn’t listening and stopped talking and started to stare off blankly. My heart sank.
By no means am I criticizing this girl’s father. I’m guilty of it too! There are times when we’re so busy we need to multitask just to get by, but in all honesty- is that really always the case? Seeing things like this as a spectator helps me to look within and do a little self-evaluation. Can it wait? That little girl will only babble on about these things for so long. She will grow up and move on and the opportunities to push her on the swings and have these moments as a family will be a distant memory. I wanted to run over to him and tell him you’re missing it.
As always, life is about finding a balance between the “need to” and the “want to”. This was a reminder to me to find mine and perhaps can help you find yours too.