The Fruits of Boredom
Hi Everyone 🙂 We’ve mentioned the White family before and it’s now our pleasure to introduce Chelsee as another author for our OLR Journal. Before we dive into her reflection on “The Fruits of Boredom,” we want to share a quick story of how the Whites found Our Lady’s Ranch and came to be apart of “Our Little Homestead Community.”
About a year ago, Chelsee and her husband, Jason, found Family Friendly Farms — the farming business run out of Our Lady’s Ranch — in their quest for healthy, sustainable meat. Upon making a farm tour, they were pleasantly surprised to find that our lifestyle is rooted in the liturgical calendar with a homesteading way of life centered in Christ. After a time of prayer, discernment, and research, they decided to move onto Our Lady’s Ranch, excited to support a Catholic Family that was living exactly how they wanted to live. Chelsee and her family have since been enjoying the ranch and community in many ways…
Chelsee here to share a precious story and lesson that my family learned not too long ago…
Teá, my then 10 year old, came up to me one spring day and declared that she was bored. She asked for screen time, to which I answered no. I gave her a few ideas to help her find something good to do with her time but she ended up coming up with something herself and off she went.
Within a few moments I heard drawers opening in the mud room, the sewing machine running, and her, humming a tune. Finally, she came out wearing a newly sewn skirt she made using leftover fabric. The following week she made a matching one for her sister so they could be twins.
I realized that, in this instance, her creativity was birthed from her boredom. Instead of wasting time mindlessly watching a screen, she fashioned a lovely skirt for her and her sister that she was proud of and could wear!
We do our children a disservice when we hand them a device to curb their boredom or to needlessly entertain them. I wonder, how many moments like this have I missed because I gave in to the easiest, quickest solution? It can be a challenge, but now I let my children be bored! It allows them the space and time to wonder, imagine, create, explore, and dream.
This is true for us adults, too. As a society, screens are robbing us of countless hours of personal and spiritual growth, family time, time outdoors, time spent working or developing interests, time cultivating relationships, and who knows what else! Part of my responsibility as a Christian is to steward my time well… We aren’t guaranteed anything beyond the present moment. May our Good Lord help us steward our time well and cultivate a healthy life that is pleasing to Him.
Blessings and Peace to you,
Chelsee White
Homeschooling mom of five
Resident at Our Lady’s Ranch
