we have always talked about going camping as a family. but then we get real. we are a family that relies heavily on all of our comforts. our comfy beds with lots of pillows, black out curtains, noise machines, laptops, internet. the list goes on. yet there is something so appealing about disconnecting, reconnecting, simplifying. we had a taste of this during the holidays. while out of town visiting family we stayed in a home next to the river. the home had just been purchased and was obviously not equipped in the way a lived in home would be. there was no furniture other than a few dining room chairs and table and a bed in the master. and the biggie was no internet. i won’t lie. not having all of the regular amenities felt slightly earth shattering to me. but i rather quickly got over it. since there were no curtains, we all rose with the sun with the most amazing views of the river. and we started our days with the simple joy of soaking in the tub and then warming up by snuggling and playing in bed. it was sweet. at one point, daddy told me how much he loved it there and joked that maybe we should get rid of all of our furniture and other things and live like this every day. i quickly shook my head and made a pained look but then i secretly entertained that thought. maybe we don’t need to get that extreme but he was on to something. we desperately need to break free from the choke hold that all of our possessions have placed on us. we need to stop staring at those damn screens and instead look deeply into the eyes of those we love and really listen to them, to their words, their voices. tattoo these fleeting moments on our souls. we need to play more. laugh. we need to live the life that matters.
