electronic free....

My husband and I went to a conference on Tuesday, courtesy of my employer.

The topic was about vocation and attitudes towards employment and leisure.  We were completely inspired.

The speaker spent a great deal of time speaking about the importance of Sunday and keeping the Sabbath.

Then he said it.  "You should unplug on Sundays.  No electronics."

I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I saw my daughter's hand empty of her phone.  And then I thought about the last time I went phone free for a day.

It wasn't pretty.

So the first Sunday of Lent was electronic free.  My children spent a lot of time in their rooms.  The house was quiet.  No fighting, no loud gaming/tv/computer sounds, no notifications from phones.

It was very, very painful.

That is how I knew it was the correct thing to do.

Next Sunday I will be more prepared.  Maybe we'll pick a book and I'll read it out loud.  We could do a puzzle or play a game.  But I will be grateful for the opportunity to hear that speaker remind me that to unplug is a very good thing.