Texts. Phone calls. E-mails.
Social media. Updates. Endless alerts. It can all be too much. Lately, I’ve
been making a conscious effort to pull back on all the above. Sometimes, a break
is much needed. I don’t like a lot of noise or talking period, so I often find
that unplugging helps. Being plugged into so many different things everyday can
be draining and overwhelming, yet, so many people have made it part of their
everyday lives. I’ve found that I’m much happier, sleep better, and more at
peace when I’m not aimlessly scrolling through my iPhone or worried about what
any and everybody else is doing. Believe it or not, there was once a time when
there were no smart phones. People were present, everyone didn’t know everyone
else’s business, and didn’t over share as much. These days? People have way too
many ways to access each other, and while technology has improved our way of
life in some ways, it’s also become a hindrance in others. Unplugging is
beneficial because there’s great peace in silence, eliminating distractions,
disruptions, noise, and unnecessary pressure and stress. As you pull back some,
maybe you can experience the benefits, too. Perhaps less is more.
About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...