THANKS FOR CALLING ME OUT, MOM! NO REALLY, THANK YOU!

My mom, sister and I were attending my niece’s graduation ceremony.  We arrived an hour and a half early so that we could get a good seat – and that we did.  I decided that I wanted to take a picture of the beautiful church and post it on FB so I could brag on my niece’s accomplishment.  I took the picture, loaded the picture to FB and then wrote a post.  And you know how it goes – then someone responded, then I responded, etc.    
                
Mom said to me “so what did you do before you had a phone”?  I said “mom, did you just call me out for using my cell phone” and she said “yes I did”.  I was stunned for a moment.  I mean, what else am I supposed to do if we have an hour to wait!  
                
As I turned off my phone to put it in my purse, I looked on my arm and there was my “Be present. Here. Now.” bracelet right there on my arm!  Yes, the bracelet I invented.  My own bracelet, telling me to be present and here I am, at an event, in a church, with my family, on the biggest day of my niece’s life, and I am on my cell phone.
                
It was a moment for me.  I have really been trying to do a better job of not being on my phone when I am in the company of others.  Here is my thought – at some point, everyone will die.  (Yes, I know it sounds morbid, but it is true.)  At their funeral, I doubt we are going to say “I will miss Bob.  I sure wish I would have spent more time on my cell phone when I was sitting across from him.”  That is probably not going to happen.  What we will say is “I am sure going to miss Bob”.  Well, Bob is here now.  Bob deserves your attention when you are in his present.  

What did I learn from this experience?  
• First of all, my mom is not afraid to call me out – I am SO grateful for that.  Sometimes in life people walk on eggshells to protect you but really, be straight up, because your goal is to help them.  (Be careful not to call someone out that you do not have THAT relationship with – unsolicited constructive criticism is not usually taken well.)
• Next, I learned that I need to practice what I teach.  I need to work on being present every single moment, especially with my family.  I talk about it and I need to DO IT!
• And finally, I learned that my niece is amazing and we enjoyed every single minute of watching her graduate from college.  And I promise to be present for her NEXT college graduation as well.

Your takeaway:
• Have a policy at home and eating out – no cell phones or electronic devices at the table – and that includes YOU!  Instead, have a box with questions to ask at the table.  You will learn SO much more!
• Limit your time on the phone.  People say “I don’t have enough time to pursue my dreams.”  Take some of your social media time and pursue that dream!  You make time for what you really want.
• Be present with those you love.  One day, they will no longer be on this earth and you will not be able to talk with them in person.
                
Remember, we are all a work in progress!  Enjoy your day.