father and child reflection

Just the other day I was returning home from work and decided to go to the store to pickup something to munch on..this was about 11:30pm. As I pulled into the parking lot I observed in the car parked next to me, still running, a man sitting in the front seat looking at his phone or Ipod and jumping from app to app. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement in the backseat. It was a young person, maybe a son or daughter, playing on a electronic device. I could see the illuminated screen.... I went into the store and returned about 5 minutes later to find the car still there and the people in it still engrossed in their electronic world. I got in the car, and sat there for awhile just observing...and in the whole time I was there there appeared no verbal conversation between the individuals...now maybe they were texting each other, but it seemed to me to be a sad commentary on this high paced, electronic gadgetry world we live in.
My youngest is 16 and we still have verbal conversation, though it needs to be jumpstarted by me a little more often now days...but when younger my kids and I would talk, share thoughts and feelings when an opportunity like this was afforded. I did not want to pass up those time because I knew how fleeting they are. I still miss constant conversations with my oldest kids, though they are usually bombarded by some kind of message at least once a week. One is half way across the country and the other nearby, but thanks to the electronic and digital age I can communicate quickly. So, there are advantages of this age, but it comes with responsibility to see that we don't lose touch with true feelings and emotion that is present when we verbally communicate. Make sure you reach out and stay in touch with your kids, but try the old fashioned way of walking, driving and sharing time and conversation together. It will lift you in a way that no electronic device can...shocking isn't it!
When was the last time you talked face to face with your kids? Have a story you would like to share....unloaded it here for all to share