My husband and I took a vow that in 2016 we would go eat someplace new once per week. We have a 14-month-old son, so sometimes this won’t be “date night” but more like “family night.” Either case, we are going to enjoy 50 new places of food, chats, love, laughs, and maybe a drink or 2.
This week was a new spot and a treat for us because it was date night. Last year when my husband and I moved to Germany for his basketball career we fell in love with a sweet Jr. midwife, Nina. She has helped us with Logan since he was 8 weeks old and we cherish her for loving on our baby boy so we have time alone with each other.
Not only did we check out a new spot to eat but I have no “selfie,” no “usie,” and no photo of my food to show you – and because of that, I think we had the best date night we have had in a very long time.
We are all guilty of the phone curse, myself included. We are guilty of having our phones at the dinner table, checking our social media sites for the latest photos and gossip, checking our work emails, taking photos and “selfies,” and most importantly IGNORING our loved ones. I am guilty of nodding my head when my husband is talking, pretending to listen but I’m on my phone instead. I am guilty of taking so many pictures of an activity and then losing a special moment that I was trying to capture instead of living in it. It’s part of our society, our media filled society. If it’s not pictured, it didn’t happen.
But it is happening. Life is happening, growth is happening, favor is happening, love is happening, and in the same sense, divorce is happening, discipline is failing, feelings are being ignored, fights are becoming routine, kids are being neglected, hearts are being broken and snapshots are turning into evidence.
So we didn’t have our phones on date night. We have an emergency phone that only a few people have the number to, including the babysitter of course. If there was an issue, we could be reached but other than that it was just my husband and me and it was incredibly fabulous.
I once again looked at my husband with pure joy. I looked into his deep brown eyes, laughed and giggled at his dimples, held his hands with BOTH hands, shared food, toasted with wine, engaged in real and intimate conversation. I fell in love with my husband 100% all over again and all because I didn’t have any distractions. When I got home it saddened me a little. How many moments have I missed checking my phone? How many silly and funny things has Logan done when my eyes were looking down?
Of course we all have priorities, jobs, responsibilities and sometimes we need to be available and with our phones or other handy devices. But on date night? Absolutely not. I do not need my phone when my focus is supposed to 100% be with my husband enjoying a parent free evening. It’s ridiculous and after enjoying such an amazing evening, I didn’t even want to write this, I wanted to throw my phone in the garbage!
My husband knows I love him and I am confident my son does as well. There are many great moments I have recorded and snapped on my phone that I am so grateful for. There are times where I get to see and speak to our families 5,000 miles away because of technology. But tonight, you don’t get to see the benefit of the phone, you don’t get a snapshot of our laughs, our toasts, our kisses, or our amazing food and that made it the best night in a very long time!