Listen with Your Eyes

I just finished reading a book that has been sitting on my end table for well over a year.  I know who gave the book to me but I cannot remember how long ago she gave it to me.  It was a short read but one that I'll remember for a long time to come.

Lately, I have been spending more and more time at the park with my boys and by myself.  I have become increasingly aware of the fact that many of us, myself included, seem to be spending more time staring at our cell phones.  While I was running last week, there was a little girl playing in the sand on the beach volleyball court all by herself while her mom sat on a bench 20 feet away laughing on her cell phone.

I'm not sure I'll ever forget that image.  I know I won't forget the sadness that I felt for the little girl that her mom wasn't paying any attention to her or the sadness that I felt for the mom who was missing out on that precious time with her little girl.  After that, I vowed that my cell phone will stay in the car when I'm at the park with my boys.  I don't want to miss out on something with my boys because I'm on my phone. I won't get this time back and I want to savor each moment.

I've been pondering this experience for a while now trying to wrap my brain around it.  As I was reading, I discovered a very short story that really captured all of the thoughts and feelings that I've been mulling over the last few weeks about spending engaged quality time with my boys.  This really hit home...especially since I'm very big on eye contact.  My boys definitely deserve the same from me.