Hands Free

I never, ever write book reviews...especially on something I haven't even finished.  My blog is not something I want to profit from, obviously.  It's a journal for myself.  For my future self. For my grown children. For the grandparents who don't live nearby.  However, I've found quite a jewel of a book, and I want to remember my responses to my daily reading of The Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford.  I'm supposed to read this book slowly, as in weekly chapter reading, and savor the challenges, but I'm so inspired, so deeply touched that I simply cannot do it.  I'm slowing down for daily reading of each chapter, but I'm dying to pick it up again and continue reading.

I can see myself in her pages.  I can see an epidemic of distracted living all around me.  There are a massive amount of people who are unable to see things directly in front of their faces, and they are missing their lives.  They are missing moments they cannot get back.  They are missing what is important.  They're unable to connect with other human beings.  It is unreal.  Do you see it?

So beginning today, I am going back to chapter one and will be documenting my experiences.

Hands Free Weekly Intention:  Go Hands Free for a Specific Time Period Each Day-

This is not just talking about going without your devices, your laptop, your Kindle, etc.  This is talking about the ways you are distracted from your people.  I have more trouble connecting with my kids and family when I have a task that needs to be done at home, when my productivity in the home is interrupted.  I put value in myself over how well things run.  I know I have a problem with this.  Even when I have company come stay at the house, I always must tidy up the kitchen before I can relax. But by the time those jobs are completed, I have missed a lot.  If you've ever stayed at my house, you know this is true.  I struggle in this area. So do I leave the kitchen untended, indefinitely? No.  However, I am trying to put the people and our time together ahead of the stuff and unending jobs.  Not just when company is over but for the people who matter most to me.  Does that make sense?  I am trying very hard to demote these distractions along with the obvious things like, "Don't scan facebook, twitter, or email when a person is talking to you."  I'm trying hard to look at my child when they speak to me.  I'm trying not to let the words, "in a minute..." or "maybe later" take over my vocabulary.

This book is addressing all distractions. It's saying be careful not to let your devices, duties, or to-do list distract you from what's most important.  I think facebook can be fine and good, and I enjoy it and love to catch up with friends and family, near and far.  But it cannot replace real life and daily living.  I still have endless, normal, work to do around the house with four children. My husband still has a job and must complete his tasks with integrity and work ethic. But those things are a part of life.  We all have work to do, tasks to complete.  What we need a Biblical perspective. We need to put first things, first.  We need to prioritize.  We need to be less distracted.

So my goal is to go Hands Free as much as possible.  I plan to document moments along the way.