Letters to my Children: It should come with a warning….

bryan dupuis

Evan, Adeline, and Malina,100_5419

It happened again the other day. I was at home after a full day of work. We were in the basement playing and you (Evan) started calling my name. I had no idea that you had called my name several times earlier and finally gave up. But you really wanted me to play so you tried again. I wish I could say I heard you the first time, or the second, or the third. It wasn’t until you yelled my name that I looked up from my phone.

I was in the room but nowhere near any of you.  I was around but not fully present. In that moment I surrendered and allowed myself to be controlled by a device I carry in my back pocket.

Your face was a mixture of frustration and confusion, wondering what I was reading that was more important than the Lego Ninjago you were trying to assemble and needed help with.  It wasn’t until I saw your face that I wondered the same thing.

The technology I have in my life right now is amazing. The technology you will have when you are my age is hard to imagine. I am saying all of this to you three because I believe that for your generation, one of the greatest challenges to following Jesus, living in community with others and engaging the world will be to be fully present  — to God, to one another, and to others you will encounter in your life.

The more technology develops the more it seems to implant itself in the fabric of daily life. This is not a bad thing, but it should come with a warning….be present, engage people fully, quiet yourself before God. Nothing will be more important than being completely in the moment, lost in a conversation or an experience or great beauty….without distraction.

When it comes to responding to you or responding to the flashing green light on my hand-held device….may you never have to wonder who will win.

Love,

Your Dad.

9 thoughts on “Letters to my Children: It should come with a warning….”

  2. Wow! This is so true to our generation. The technology is exploding around us and we are amazed at it. So much so that we tune everyone out. Micah doesn’t give up. He just keeps yelling my name louder. :) They do teach us lessons.

  3. Bryan this is so cool! I had an experience like this the other day when I went out to dinner with my husband and teen daughter. Everyone was on a device. I noticed that and put mine away and began talking to the both of them. It was hard to tear them away but I just kept right on talking. Posts like this are very important, because technology can very easily take over our lives if we let it. I also believe in the 3 things you mentioned, be fully present, be engaged with whoever you are with and take time to quiet yourself before God. Thanks for a great post and reminder! :-)

  4. Great insight. So true. I don’t have a television in my den. I use the room for reading and also for gatherings of friends and family. When they are here – we are together to enjoy each other’s company. Without distraction. It has made our time together so much richer.

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