The gift of time

I deleted Facebook and Instagram from my phone two weeks ago before we set out on our first family vacation for the year.

The idea was to stay connected only with the present without the thought of making reels, sharing inspiring content or encouraging you all to make little tokens of love.

The result? It has felt liberating!

Although there were moments of temptation in the first three days of our travels, the desire to be constantly online faded away thanks to the stunning vistas or the abundant lupine lining our drives.

Mother Nature at her best … and what a shame it would be to ignore her in favor of a screen!

We have been playing UNO in the one-night-stays at hotels, word games on our long drives, and my husband and I have our phones on “do not disturb”mode. Making the conscious choice and putting in an effort to be with each other and our daughter.

I am also realizing that giving ourselves the time to simply observe and be is helping our daughter understand the importance and value of what and who is around her.

As we skim pebbles on the lakeside, as we run out of breath on treacherous hikes, as we share a single stale croissant on Christmas Day because all restaurants are closed … as we soak in the beauty around us and breathe, these little moments become our greatest memories.

We’ve been marveling at how interconnected the flora and fauna are, how sophisticated Nature is, and just how little we, as one of the most intelligent species in the animal kingdom, know.

We’ve also been painting a lot every other evening because we never want to be in a situation where we don’t have a token of appreciation for those we are meeting along the way.

At last count, we had handed out just a touch short of 100 little tokens of love (in a fortnight).

In summary, it’s quite possibly the best gift we could have given ourselves.

While our adventure down under is far from over, I am thinking of holding off reinstalling those apps when I am back to the daily grind … but if you need to reach me, ask questions or simply share how your holiday season has been, I’ll be here.

Wishing you an amazing 2025 and hoping you’ll also find moments of true connection with your loved ones AND yourself in the new year.

With much love,

Mansi.