Join the Tuesday Slice of Life!
Some people say technology gets in the way of real relationships. Put down that device and talk to me, will you? However, this Thanksgiving holiday I was grateful for new technology: Facetime and Texting especially. Only one of my 3 daughters was able to make the trip to my parents’ home in Mississippi this year. Traditionally, this is where we spend Thanksgiving, but as they have grown and have lives of their own, it has become more and more difficult for all of us to be together.
Daughter #1, Maggie, was attending an Indian wedding in North Carolina with her boyfriend. Using group text, she was sending updates with pictures of all of the events- henna tattoos, painting the groom, the ceremony, the reception. Vicariously, we all experienced the wedding with her.
I love this picture of my daughter, Maggie, dressed in traditional Indian clothing with her boyfriend, Louis.
On Thanksgiving night, we did Facetime with daughter #3, Martha, who was celebrating the holiday with her boyfriend’s family in Wisconsin. She’s in school in Chicago, so this was a treat to see them both from so far away. We even met Bailey, the boyfriend’s beautiful collie. The next best thing to being there is Facetime, an amazing invention in my book!
The last night I was with my parents, we went out to eat dinner at a restaurant where my brother was entertaining. As he was singing along with his 2 daughters, ages 11 and 14, I was missing my girls. But then came a new group text:
Maggie: We had mint choc chip dippin dots during the ceremony.
Kat: Write that down for your wedding!
Kat: We just put the Santa gnome on Wayne’s tree.
Martha: Home alone making banana bread and listening to Love Actually soundtrack.
Maggie: Ha ha perfect!
Even without them physically present with me, I was in a circle of love.
Reflections on the Teche 
You wrote beautifully about using technology to make your life richer.
okay…I definitely think I need an i-phone….I think I need lazer surgery for my farsighted eyes and it would be awesome! xo
That’s the way to use technology!
That’s the best thing about technology, I think – that it keeps our loved ones near us and with us even though they may be far away. Loved the beautiful photo of your daughter in a sari – so hard to wear!
Yes, technology to complain about, and technology to love. So happy you were able to be in a circle of love for Thanksgiving. Next year my oldest will be in Canada attending college. I doubt she will be home for Thanksgiving. Enjoying this last year with everyone at home.
I love embracing technology when the results are tangible! feeling your loved ones close by is priceless!
It’s quite wonderful when I get to do FaceTime with my grandson! And we text, which is “his” mode of conversation right now (he’s 12). I loved the photo-beautiful, and liked the way you wound your way through the important tech that helped being apart, Margaret. I like to think of those military people so far away-technology is so wonderful for them! My mother used to tell me that it would be months before they might hear anything from a loved one during WWII. I can’t imagine the worry it would mean. Thanks for sharing this-glad your holiday was good!
A lovely post… love the pictures you shared. Texting with my daughter since she went to college has been great for keeping in touch and getting news from her.