I was reading an article from the New York Times that talks about “no phone zones” and Sherry Turkle’s term “Sacred spaces” for such zones. It’s an excellent article and evidence of interest in “unplugging.”

However, it occurred to me that the image of the dinner table is often invoked when talking about making phone-free zones so family can communicate. This is, of course, ideal. Even if the family only has one day a week where they are all at the dinner table at the same time, sharing a meal while sharing stories of our lives can be, well, delicious!

What about families where the adults are tag-teaming, holding down multiple jobs; there are scenarios where meal time isn’t necessarily family time.

The important thing might be to let go of some picture of an ideal and ask – where is there time in our particular situation?  How can we make it sacred? Even if it is time in the car (one of the five zones suggested), going to and from school or activities, that can be your sacred time. It take an effort to find those times, prioritize communication, put everything else aside and enter into the somewhat unknown Sacred Space.

Photo credit: Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle, via Associated Press