Monday, December 20, 2010

The Empty Table


This is one of our favorite restaurants, but tonight it was very noisy and crowded.
 "Sweet hunter" told me that
we would just say our own prayer quietly. 
So we bowed our heads and were thankful.


When I looked up, I saw this table next to us.  There was a beautiful
family sitting there.  There was a Dad, Mom, and a teenage boy.
Their heads were bowed and I told my husband
to look how precious they were praying together.


Then I noticed...............they weren't praying!
They each had a cell phone and were looking down at their phones.
As the food came, they would look up and eat, yet never say a word to each other.
The Mom had a serious look on her face as she looked at her cell phone.
The Dad chuckled as he was reading or playing games.
The teenage boy was texting the whole time.

Then a little girl about 9 or 10 years old appeared.
She went to her Mother's side and whispered something to her.
Her Mother pushed her aside and went back to her cell phone.
The little girl looked heart broken.
The little girl asked the teenage brother something.
His eyes looked up from the phone for a second and said, "NO!"
She had tears in her eyes as she asked her Dad to take her to the bathroom.
(this must be what she had asked the others.)
Then he looked up and said, "I thought you just went to the bathroom."
She said, "I was scared."
(This bathroom was on the other side of the crowded restaurant.)

The Mom, Dad and teenage boy ate their food and never hardly looked up.        
This is sad but a true story and it happens every day.
This happened last night.
                     The little girl sat there with tears coming down her eyes but she was quiet.
                 She broke my heart.

          Would you let your little girl go to the bathroom by herself in a huge crowded restaurant?
                          They brought the check and the Mom grabbed it and paid.
                  They all left with cell phones in hand with the little girl following behind crying.
                      I never saw the little girl eat a bite. I never heard her say another word.

Do I have a cell phone?  Yes.   
Is my cell phone more important than my family? No.
What have we become? I want to be so careful.
I love to learn lessons like this.
The table was full of a beautiful family, but what I saw was..............
 The Empty Table.

21 comments:

grandmarockton said...

Frist Merry Christmas to you and family! I afraid that this is too TRUE, this is the only way some comuicate (talk) to each other WHAT a say WORLD this is becoming! my phone is to call HELP if I need it only WISH everyone would talk again

Pokey said...

I've observed such as this, too. Values are being lost, priorities misplaced. You observed a valuable lesson for us all.

Jocelyn said...

Oh Val, I have seen this same thing happen. It is SO very sad. Years ago it was the television that robbed families of conversation, not it is the cell phones.
Wishing you and your family a very Merry and blessed Christmas.

Needled Mom said...

What a sad story, Val. We, too, have seen that all too often. I cannot imagine what the upcoming generation will be like when they try to communicate with each other with real words and not texts. I really appreciate businesses who have the no cell phone rules. It is just sooooo rude. Don't even get me started.

lindsey said...

This is so true, I used to teach in a pre school and many times observed parent arrive to collesct children with a phone to their ear, grab their child and leave without a word of greeting to the child or anyone around!

Amelia said...

So sad for this child - but also for the rest of the family - they were in their own selfish world and are to be pitied - certainly a lesson to be learned from observing this - love those you are around in actions - which definitely includes conversation out loud - not just punch keys on a phone.

Merry Christmas!

Michelle said...

Oh, so sad.........It would have broke my heart too.

StitchinByTheLake said...

My heart hurts for her - someday they'll wonder why she left and never comes around any more. blessings, marlene

English Cottage in Georgia said...

What a sad, but valuable lesson. I do feel so much sympathy for the little girl whom you observed - somewhere along the way the definition of family went askew.

bettyj said...

What a potent post! I see this too, and like you wonder why we always have to be connected. I will turn mine off in a restaurant, especially after reading this post. Thank you.
betty, Through My Back Door

caknitter said...

You're right, that's a heartbreaker. I can't believe cell phones have become that important to some people that it's taken over their lives. So sad.
Happy to know you and your family are not that way.
Merry Christmas!

Mrs. Stam said...

this is so sad!!!

Renea said...

My husband and I have been in restaurants and have seen young couples (I think they were on a date). They never spoke to each other as each had a phone and were texting or talking to someone else. Their food came, they ate and never let go of their phones. So sad. How do young couples get to know each other when they pay more attention to who is on the other end of their phones?

Julie said...

WOW!! What a sad story. I wonder what will happen to that little unattended girl? Makes me want to cry. I hope I NEVER do that--ever!! Thanks for the reminder. Julie

Allie said...

How heartbreaking Val. What is wrong with people!!

anti snore said...

This looks great! Wishing you and your family a very Merry and blessed Christmas.

Anonymous said...

OH VALERIE!!!
THAT IS ONE OF THE SADDEST MOVING STORIES I'VE EVER HEARD!!!

Jesus said, Matt 18:5-8
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee
(OR THY CELL PHONE), cut them off
(TURN IT OFF OR SMASH IT), and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed
(WITHOUT A CELL PHONE), rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

This may seem a little radical combining these verses to a cell phone, but I think it applies to anything that OFFENDS JESUS!!!

I hope my thought is clear here!

Anonymous said...

The cell phone God is rapidly becoming the number one false God (idol) in our nation today. Sad :-(

Val, I hope you and your family have a Wonderful Christmas :-)

God Bless You, ~Ron
***************************

All4Him said...

This makes me so sad. I just want to cry!

Alice Grace said...

I have the same feelings of all the comments on this post. I feel so sad for the little girl!

KRisti said...

Oh my goodness, I could not imagine doing Caitlin like that... That is just very sad!!!! people need to get their priorities in order!!! Uggghhh!! makes me so mad!! Enjoyed you posts about Gatlinburg!!! Merry Christmas!!! LOve you!!!!
Kristi