iPhone

I know. Phones are a distraction; we’re developing neck injuries constantly looking at them, and we’re ignoring each other.  Well, it seems that way sometimes. I think most of us are aware of this issue and are choosing to break that disattention habit.

But one thing I have appreciated about my iPhones all these years since the first one: I pay more attention to the world around me. I spot little things and small moments- ladybugs on a lilac leaf, just left basketball and bike on the neighborhood lawn, one lovely viola peering out from a concrete wall.  So what?

• ladybugs on a lilac leaf — appreciation for the little bug that eats the aphids on one of my favorite flowers.
• just left basketball and bike — kids still do play out in the neighborhood, and then take a break inside for a cool glass of water.
• one lovely viola peering out from a concrete wall — a lesson in resilience and a bit of beauty in a concrete world.

So what? I’m able to snap a photo instantly of the memory and appreciation for these simple things in my life. And, if I choose, I can instantly share them in the family iMessage chat or a blog post.

My iPhone allows me to attend to the little things that make memories and moments of simple gratitude.

Last night, I stepped outside and a brilliant orange sycamore leaf from last fall captured my eye. The sun, slowly melting onto the hill behind us, painted the usually rusty and brittle old leaf a lovely red-orange, something pleasing to the eye and lovely to behold. Nature’s beauty is all around. My iPhone lets me capture it, for you too!