If you haven't yet tried this viral trend that’s made its way to real life, you are going to love this.

S

ince the very beginning of our quarantine time and current crisis, I’ve had this thought clanking around in my mind: it’s ironic that, of all the things that have helped us cope through this challenge, it’s the connectivity o­ffered by phones. Of course it’s entirely logical, as it’s our only means of socialization, and consider how much chizuk can be transmitted just over one call. For the older generation especially, technology has been a crucial factor in staving o­ff loneliness; it provides the feeling that there’s someone who cares and who is as close as they can possibly get.

The flip side to all this connectivity, though, as someone mentioned to me at the beginning of the outbreak, is keeping up with it all (the news, updates, family group chats, memes, forwarding interesting information, ordering necessities, etc). It’s become a full-time job for some.

Difficult as it is, I try to remind myself of my standards prior to these challenging days. My ongoing battle was to keep phones and computers away during non-work time, and now I’m left scratching my head. Where do I draw the line? What does Hashem want from me? What is proper? What is improper?

I don’t have any earth-shattering solutions. But as I strive for more focused time, I’ve been turning off­ my phone sporadically throughout my non-work times; it takes away the mindless pull for a quick check of the screen.

Ultimately, as cliché as it may sound, it’s a priority focus. With the Torah providing the ultimate direction, Shavuos is an appropriate time to reflect, and celebrate this kind of shift.

Chanie Nayman
Food Editor, Family Table