Back to the basics. My wife said that I should journal but what I really I want to do is eat ice cream.

In this day and age of technology, we forget what writing a letter actually feels like. I recently wrote a letter to friend who moved to the Washington D.C area. I thanked him for all the work he did and what he meant to our team. I got about two paragraphs into my letter and my hand started to cramp up. I dropped my pencil and screamed in pain but I picked that pencil right back up and plowed through the next couple of paragraphs.  I ran to the mailbox, dropped that letter in, and ran back inside to ice my hand. This past week I wrote another letter to a coworker that was retiring. This time I was ready to write that letter. I did a few finger and hand calisthenics and went to town on that letter. It felt good to get back to the basics. In our world of texting, email, and social media, I felt one thing when my friends read their handwritten letter from me...appreciation. They appreciated the time and effort it took to write a letter and it felt good to let them know how important they are. Why do I tell you all of this? Because maybe we need to get back to the basics of life. 

My daughter is rapidly approaching her last year in single digits. She will turn 9 in just a couple of days, and I can not believe how fast time has traveled. It's true what is said, time waits for no man. But what have I been teaching my daughter? I catch myself with my head down, texting, or mindlessly scrolling Facebook, or playing Words with Friends. I have slowly been detoxing myself from doing all of that. When it comes to our kids, more is caught than taught. So what am I teaching my precious daughter and son? Am I teaching them that my iPhone is more important than listening to them? Am I teaching them that sending that text is more important than looking out the window and watching the world with them through their eyes? Isn't it ironic that I am writing a blog on my computer about detoxing? Yes. Yes it is. However, my kids are asleep and Miriam is watching a show on Netflix. Plus I needed to type this out because maybe someone else needs to read this and get back to the basics with me. 

Let us get back to the basics. Let's put the e-reader down and read a book. You don't have to completely get rid of the e-reader, but don't forget what reading a real life book felt like. Write your BFF a letter. Put your phone on DO NOT DISTURB or block a couple of phone numbers. Maybe check Facebook once a day or maybe once every other day. Go watch the sunset (because it would be a miracle for my family to watch the sunrise). I understand how much easier life has become by being plugged in or by texting and emailing from the palm of your hand, but don't..forget..the..basics. Don't forget your family. Don't forget to put the phone down and take a mental picture instead of trying to take a picture to put on Instagram. That is all. 

In Him, 

Jimmy