Being present

As you may, or may not, know, I am an internet junkie. I get all my news, local, world and entertainment from the internet. I find phone numbers and old friends, pool care tips and devotionals, music and a history lesson, all in one place: the internet. I'm always jumping on to find some other little piece of information, updating my facebook status or checking what people are talking about on twitter. It's just a little jumping on here, a quick sign in there. Maybe while I'm nursing, or the peanut is playing dollhouse or I need a new recipe, it makes life so easy...right?

Well, maybe. Or maybe not so much.

The last few days as I've checked my twitter account, I've noticed a lot of moms with a whole lot of posts. Things like, "Just at the park with the kids...such and such just went tumbling down a hill. Ha, ha." Or, "Out for a date with hubby, checking email." Just updating their lives away.

As I was reading these posts I was just struck with the impersonal nature of the whole situation. I mean, where does the time begin where our very presence is given wholly to the other person that we are with? Where we are not concerning ourselves with having to write down every detail of what is going on, but start to live all those details instead? Don't get me wrong, I am all for journaling, I've done it my whole life, but I don't feel like that is what this is.

I know many see it as a way to socialize and be a part of something bigger than themselves. To reach out to the masses of people reading. And don't comments somehow make us all feel somewhat validated?

But, I just find to really be a part of the moment, these all too fleeting moments, maybe putting down the itouch or blackberry and not taking time to think about the funniest way to say your child just landed on their peanut butter and jelly sandwhich as they leapt from the second stair, off of the couch and onto the kitchen table, but just being present in that moment. Laughing, enjoying, crying...without ever having to update. Maybe it's that kind of prescence that we all really need.

Hope your days and nights are filled with others being present with you too!