My phone got run over by a car last Sunday. I discovered it at night, my car’s headlights shining down on the bright pink case as though it were a throbbing heart. Only, it was a heart no longer beating.

My obsession was gone. Just like that. No warning. Little backup. My calendar and lists – including medical ones – had vanished. You could call it a divine Crackberry intervention. I called it annoying. The humorous hindsight would come later.

Fortunately, I had insurance. Unfortunately, the insurance company sent me a defective replacement. So, for the better part of a week, I found myself a computer’s reach away from all things immediate and organizational. How did we function 15 years ago? Driving without cell phones, walking around without the ability to reach each other – and our calendars – constantly?

For the first time since I became addicted to Facebook while nursing baby Ian, I found myself free from the constant check-in. Free from feeling like I ought to be accessible to my part-time job at all times. Free to focus on my kids without feeling like they were pulling me away from THE DEVICE.

Besides for being physically run down and mentally scattered last week, I have to say I felt healthier. I actually sat down to write a little. I took a few cat naps. The kids and I watched less TV, too. Coincidences? I’m not so sure.

Yes, my bright pink temptation has started functioning properly again. Will I have the willpower to stick to my resolution – to check email and status updates only twice a day, in the morning and at night? Only time will tell.

But God, please grant me the courage to change the things I can…