Are we too busy?

Tonight, I asked Blaise, 3 1/2, if he wanted to read a book before bed. So he picked up his Thomas computer and a book and sat on my lap, handing me the book. He turned on the computer and started playing. He insisted that I read the book as he was playing his games. He would look over at the pictures as I finished each page then turned back to his computer. Is this what he sees Andy and me doing? What am I teaching the boys with all the multi-tasking? To be as busy and constantly working as what I am?

I was talking with one of my patients today. He grew up "before the war," as he says. Things were simpler then, he tells me. People went visiting after church on Sundays. They had 10 cows rather than 200 or rather than jobs with long hours, and they spent their time after dinner sitting around and talking or playing cards around the lamp until they decided to turn it off. People were not so busy. They kept in touch. They knew their neighbors. There was not so much busy-ness and less worry and stress. What has happened??? And why is it so hard to live that way today?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for coming by and leaving me some wonderful reflections at A Catholic Notebook.
Your post really spoke to me today - "What am I teaching the boys with all the multi-tasking?" It made me stop and think about what I am teaching my kids when I try to do so many (too many) things in a day.
Thank you for sharing!
March 16, 2009 at 9:59 PM
Joyful Days said…
Ow...that hurt. And it is so true. What a good reminder that the first place we need to look when trying to change our children's behavior is our own.

Just what I needed to read.

(())

Julie
April 12, 2009 at 3:59 PM
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