Yesterday morning my phone rang. Daughter Heidi said that Sam wanted to talk to Grammy. Sam is almost three. I quickly turned on my laptop and waited for the call. There they were, Sam and sister Lily, 17 months. They both smiled hugely. Then Sam turned his face sideways to the camera, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and stared seemingly into space. Mommy explained that he was watching cartoons, Team Oomi Zoomi to be exact. (Who can resist a cartoon with that name?) Lily continued to stare at the camera, more interested than her brother in watching us. Marge, who is Oma, happened to be going to work late, so Lily and Sam could say hi to her as well. After a couple of minutes, we all waved good-by and signed off.
It was a short encounter. It served its purpose. Sam and I got to say hi. I saw the faces of two little ones who grow and change so fast it is hard to keep up.
How lucky we are to live in times when we can communicate so easily. When my ancestors came over from Switzerland over 200 years ago, and when later generations moved west state by state, they left with some certainty that they would never again see the faces of those they left behind. They could write letters, of course. I think about that, and what we are losing by not leaving the written record that letters provide. It is simply a reality that things change and we leave some things behind even as we gain opportunities thorugh the use of new technologies.
A friend mentioned that his niece can communicate with her family from France at no cost! It's real time with facial expressions and all. It's a way to maintain and grow relationships with little ones who are years away from letter-writing. I love seeing those little faces!
It was a short encounter. It served its purpose. Sam and I got to say hi. I saw the faces of two little ones who grow and change so fast it is hard to keep up.
How lucky we are to live in times when we can communicate so easily. When my ancestors came over from Switzerland over 200 years ago, and when later generations moved west state by state, they left with some certainty that they would never again see the faces of those they left behind. They could write letters, of course. I think about that, and what we are losing by not leaving the written record that letters provide. It is simply a reality that things change and we leave some things behind even as we gain opportunities thorugh the use of new technologies.
A friend mentioned that his niece can communicate with her family from France at no cost! It's real time with facial expressions and all. It's a way to maintain and grow relationships with little ones who are years away from letter-writing. I love seeing those little faces!
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