Slowly, so slowly that we never even noticed how it happened, our family stopped talking to each other. Our own worlds opened up to us through the computer or the cell phone or the CD player.
Family Night was born when Mom called us for dinner. Jessica and I came and sat down. Dad loaded his plate and started to rise from the table.
“Where are you going?” Mom questioned.
“To the living room. I have some work,” Dad replied as he hurried away. Mom's face got tight, but she said nothing. About two minutes later, my cell phone buzzed. Jessica kept her earphones on during most of the meal. Mom was clearly upset.
Family Night started the next week. Mom established three rules: no phones, no music, and no leaving the table. Everyone would eat together and play a game together “like a real family.”
All seemed to be going according to Mom's plan until the first buzz of a cell phone. After dinner, we had been playing the board game for only ten minutes when another cell phone let out a shrill scream. This time the phone belonged to my father.
“Work's calling. I have to answer,” he whispered as he hurried out of the room.
Mom sighed, but she forced a smile and encouraged us to continue with the game. We kept playing through every interruption afterwards: the beeping of Jessica's phone, the buzz of another text message from Darnell, the soothing voice announcing the arrival of an e-mail on Dad's computer. When the game was over, Mom released us to our rooms.
That first Family Night was not a success, but Mom soldiered on. Every Monday evening we silenced our electronics and gathered around the table; and each time, setting aside our technological toys became a little easier. The next two months my father would be taking business trips. We wouldn't be able to have Family Night every Monday.
To my surprise I realized that I would miss those few hours each week when the house was filled with my family's laughter and conversation. I was also glad to know that when we really wanted to, we could silence the electronic buzz and just be a family again.
