For the first time in 15 years I do not have a cellular device, internet, or cable TV. At first, the boys were horrified. Poor Jackson cried because he couldn’t play his games online. Every day they asked if it was getting turned back on. But there has been positive too. They started pulling board games out of the closet. They started to play using their imagination instead of constantly playing video games, which I tried to limit before the accident and had become slack on. Jackson even admitted me to me that it wasn’t so bad not having internet and they were having “fun” playing. They were forced to get creative, and that isn’t such a bad thing. 

It has been an experience for me as well. We often wonder what we do without technology, and I have had the opportunity to learn firsthand. The only time I have access to the Internet is through my husband’s mobile hotspot. It is nice not having to check my phone every 10 minutes of the day. I am OCD and unread notifications drive me insane.  Now, I only see them when I am able to connect. It is frustrating however when I need to be connected to reach a customer or reply to an email. I cannot even print documents because literally everything has to have wifi to work. 

When my two oldest were growing up I would never speak of finances with my boys. Speak as though you have instead of what you don’t have. Your words are powerful so don’t proclaim negative. My answer was simply no or not right now. As they became older, I realized I wasn’t really teaching them truth. It is okay to teach children that not all of their wants are in the budget. Children need to understand that some things are luxuries, like Internet and cable, even though we believe we have to have them. They too will have to make sacrifices, learn to budget their money and make smart decisions. I pray that they are all so successful that they don’t have to go without anything, but the reality is at some point they will have to choose between paying the mortgage or electricity bill over buying the newest iPhone. I hope as parents we are teaching them the foundation of that concept. 

Through it all I have learned that I can indeed survive without technology, but it is a luxury I enjoy and will be happy to have again we can afford to do so.

Before the accident, I would have never shared something like this. Now, I feel the need to be brutally honest. The reality is we are still struggling from the aftermath of the accident and the impact it has had on our lives and our finances. But even if that wasn’t the case, most people struggle to make ends meet. Parents have to decide how to use those times to teach positive example instead of feeling shame about their circumstances. I hope that by sharing our story others know they are not alone out there, and just maybe it will make their day a little better. 

Love and blessings, 

C.C.