Do it for your children: Unplug Once in a while
I shared a few days ago my battle with social media and my plan to unplug a bit, and get more in line with my walk with the Lord and spend more time in the present with my family.
In todays society you look around and at dinner dates with couples, each are on their phone. You go to a wedding and the gorgeous bride is walking down the aisle unable to see the smiling faces of her loved ones she invited, instead there is a screen between those smiles and her view (camera/phone/camcorder) trying to get a photo. And the very worst thing I have noticed, and as a photographer I am very guilty of this myself in the past, is attending a school play or softball game, when my daughter is performing and doing her very best knowing mommy is in the crowd rooting for her, I have had my phone or camera front and center to capture that moment.
Now Im not saying there is anything wrong with doing this, but we must not forget to live in the present. Remember in the old days, what now seems like forever ago but really isn't that long ago in fact, when you attending your childrens play and you eyes, mind, and heart were the only thing viewing it, the only thing to capture that memory with? Your child no doubt looked through the crowd for your smiling face and maybe even gave you a little wave of enthusiasm at seeing your undivided attention on them and their performance.
To that child I bet they still remember that moment too if you asked them.
These days we are so ingrained into social media, taking the photos that we will post to share with our friends "Look how cute Susie looked at her play!" or the videos to upload and share, and while I am not discouraging this at all, I am asking you, are you also taking time to make sure you put down that phone, camera, camcorder and capture the memory with your heart as well? To enjoy and be there in the moment with your child and be PRESENT?
Or how about this scenario. As bloggers, writers, and photographers (and Im sure many other professions that spend many hours on their computer at home) I am sure you have encountered the moment when you are working on a project, you are in the 'zone' and then one of your children comes in and says "will you play with me". How often, I know I have, did you say 'Im busy right now, but give me 15 minutes and I will" or even worse, I am guilty of telling my daughter to get in bed and Ill be in there to pray with her and tuck her in bed in 'just a few minutes' but time slipped away once again either on social media or working on editing an image, and when I did get up to go pray and tuck her in, she was already fast asleep.
What a sinking, awful feeling that has been for me.
So its been my personal decision to be more present. The computer can wait. The people that live in it can wait. Nothing is going to come before my children any longer even if it takes me 5 minutes or if it means shutting down my work for the day to spend the whole afternoon with them.
Moments of their childhood are fleeting. How long before she is old enough where she doesn't even want tucked in at night, where she is no longer performing school plays? How long before it is HER walking down the aisle getting married? And I can assure you I will NOT have a camera blocking my beaming smile for her as she comes to meet her new husband at the alter.
So this was just what was on my heart today and I wanted to share with you. If you have a similar story, thought, or anything on your heart you'd like to share feel free to do so in the comments, I love hearing from you! Be blessed!
In todays society you look around and at dinner dates with couples, each are on their phone. You go to a wedding and the gorgeous bride is walking down the aisle unable to see the smiling faces of her loved ones she invited, instead there is a screen between those smiles and her view (camera/phone/camcorder) trying to get a photo. And the very worst thing I have noticed, and as a photographer I am very guilty of this myself in the past, is attending a school play or softball game, when my daughter is performing and doing her very best knowing mommy is in the crowd rooting for her, I have had my phone or camera front and center to capture that moment.
Now Im not saying there is anything wrong with doing this, but we must not forget to live in the present. Remember in the old days, what now seems like forever ago but really isn't that long ago in fact, when you attending your childrens play and you eyes, mind, and heart were the only thing viewing it, the only thing to capture that memory with? Your child no doubt looked through the crowd for your smiling face and maybe even gave you a little wave of enthusiasm at seeing your undivided attention on them and their performance.
To that child I bet they still remember that moment too if you asked them.
These days we are so ingrained into social media, taking the photos that we will post to share with our friends "Look how cute Susie looked at her play!" or the videos to upload and share, and while I am not discouraging this at all, I am asking you, are you also taking time to make sure you put down that phone, camera, camcorder and capture the memory with your heart as well? To enjoy and be there in the moment with your child and be PRESENT?
Or how about this scenario. As bloggers, writers, and photographers (and Im sure many other professions that spend many hours on their computer at home) I am sure you have encountered the moment when you are working on a project, you are in the 'zone' and then one of your children comes in and says "will you play with me". How often, I know I have, did you say 'Im busy right now, but give me 15 minutes and I will" or even worse, I am guilty of telling my daughter to get in bed and Ill be in there to pray with her and tuck her in bed in 'just a few minutes' but time slipped away once again either on social media or working on editing an image, and when I did get up to go pray and tuck her in, she was already fast asleep.
What a sinking, awful feeling that has been for me.
So its been my personal decision to be more present. The computer can wait. The people that live in it can wait. Nothing is going to come before my children any longer even if it takes me 5 minutes or if it means shutting down my work for the day to spend the whole afternoon with them.
Moments of their childhood are fleeting. How long before she is old enough where she doesn't even want tucked in at night, where she is no longer performing school plays? How long before it is HER walking down the aisle getting married? And I can assure you I will NOT have a camera blocking my beaming smile for her as she comes to meet her new husband at the alter.
So this was just what was on my heart today and I wanted to share with you. If you have a similar story, thought, or anything on your heart you'd like to share feel free to do so in the comments, I love hearing from you! Be blessed!
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