Last night my husband and I were eating dinner at a restaurant, and it was very crowded. Wherever we are, I like to people watch.
Often, I’ll catch the eye of someone, an older person or a young child. Last night as I looked around, I caught the eye of a young girl in the booth next to our table. She looked like a normal pre-teen girl.
When I looked at everyone with her, her mother, father, and younger sister, it made me feel sad. She and her sister were playing with Play Doh and seemed to be enjoying it. I thought it weird that they had Play Doh at the table with them in the restaurant.
Until I looked at the parents.
Both mom and dad were engrossed in their phones. Neither parent was talking to either child. It went on like that until their food came. Even then there wasn’t much interaction. Just eating.
When they finished eating, they paid their bill and left.
I wanted so much to yell, “Talk with your kids! They’ll be gone soon! Tell them you love them! Listen to them!”
But it wasn’t my place to say any of those things.
They will realize it soon enough. If they even care.
