At 38, I became a single dad and felt increasingly disconnected from real life.
It hit me hard when my son asked what the last book I read to him was, and I couldn’t remember. I decided to unplug every weekend for a month just to reconnect with life and spend quality time with my 8-year-old son. No exceptions. The first weekend morning, we decided to clean out the attic—a task I’d postponed for years.
Amidst dusty boxes and forgotten memorabilia, I found an old journal belonging to my late grandfather. Curious, I started reading. His entries detailed a life I’d never known—a young man passionate about music and adventure, far from the stoic figure I’d remembered.
Tucked within the journal was a faded photograph of my grandfather standing in front of a rustic cabin by a lake, annotated with coordinates.
Intrigued, we planned a family road trip to find this place. After hours of driving and some creative navigation, we found the cabin—now abandoned but still standing. Exploring the cabin, we uncovered more of my grandfather’s belongings.
While exploring, my son suddenly pointed to a small coffin and screamed,
“Dad! There is your name on this thing!”
What we thought was a coffin was a violin case. Inside was a pristine violin and a letter addressed to me. In it, he expressed hopes that I would find this place someday and reignite the family’s love for music.
Moved beyond words, I decided to honor his legacy. I took up the violin, and my son showed interest in learning the piano. Unplugging not only helped me rediscover my family’s history but also strengthened my relationship with my son. The absence of devices allowed us to be fully present with each other, fostering conversations, laughter, and memories that no screen could ever replicate.
