Hear me out on this...

I feel like we, as a society, have been slowly “social distancing” (a term I HATE, by the way) for a while now. Think about it. With the introduction of smart phones and social media, how many people do you see constantly glued to their phones, disengaged from people and real-life interactions? How many times have you gone out to eat and seen the kids (or adults) at the table next to you on their phones rather than interacting with one another? Or maybe you’ve been guilty of this personally. And for that matter, texting is so easy, right? How many times do you decide not to call people, and instead just text? I am just as guilty as the next person. 

Now we are in a time where “social distancing” has taken on a whole new meaning. But if you go outside on a nice afternoon, you will see many of your neighbors out walking, running, or riding bikes, and everyone seems desperate for human interaction. Neighbors say hi and smile. People stop and talk from across the street while out and about, whereas before, everyone kept to themselves and were always in a hurry. Now we have the gift of time, and can slow down to say hello. We are also desperate to see and interact with real live people. 

My prayer is this— when all of this is over and things go back to “normal” (and I pray this happens much soon rather than later), that we don’t take social interaction for granted anymore. Spend time in real conversation with people. Put the technology away and TALK to people. Call people on the phone to chat. And definitely, when you’re able to go out and sit to eat in a restaurant again, engage with the people you’re with rather than your phones. And lastly, parents, talk to your kids. You are literally their world right now, and they need you now more than ever before! ❤️❤️❤️