Many of us spend a lot of time looking for the best Christmas gift for our loved ones.  We brave Black Friday and shop on our lunch hours, while some of us spend hours online looking for that perfect gift.

However, this year I think I may have just the right gift for my family.  I got the idea when I saw this video.

The video begins with a statement asking if I knew that the average person spends four years of their life looking down at their cell phone. “How these touch screens make us lose touch…”

It occurred to me that this young man has a good point, and I’m as much to blame as the next person.  Every once in a while Chuck will ask me if I have my iPad with me before we walk into a restaurant; and since I almost always do, he reaches into the backseat to get his and says that he does it out of  self-defense.

I think we all ask ourselves if we spend too much time with our social media and not enough time visiting face to face.  I know I do.

Near the end of this young man’s video, I thought he was going to throw his iPhone into the sea.  What he does, though, is simply put his cell down and gaze at the sunset.

To me this could have been a symbol to give up all our electronic devices, but instead it symbolized his understanding–that our technology has its place.  He cautions us “to be balanced, be mindful, be present, and be here.”

So as I pondered his message, and I came to a decision.  I am going to put down my cell, my iPad, and turn off my computer for Christmas.  It is such a wonderful time for family and friends that I want to truly be in the moment.

Starting December 22nd and ending on the 27th, I will give the following gift to my family and to myself.  I plan to turn off my cell phone and iPad and leave them in my office along with my computer.  I plan to stop checking my Facebook or Twitter.  I plan to turn off the TV unless it is to watch a movie with family.

So what will I do with the extra time when no one is around?  Maybe I’ll read more (with an old fashioned book made of paper)…

…maybe I’ll ride my bike (after I air up the tires)…

…maybe I’ll take a walk or …

…maybe I’ll invite the kids over to decorate a Gingerbread house.

Otherwise, an old land line at home and a “not so smart” camera will have to suffice.