Fourteen of Thirty: Technology - the tie that binds

Canada is a vast land and families are often separated by thousands of miles, thousands of dollars and hours or days of travel.

I have one son, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and two gorgeous grandchildren - all of whom live on the west coast, about as far away as they could be while still remaining within Canada's borders. The distance, time and cost of travel is a prohibitive barrier for being on-hand for the major moments in life - at their end or ours.

So, to keep in touch we rely on technology - a few phone calls, the occasional text message and, for me to see my grandtoddlers at play - web cam visits.

It's not the same as touching, hugging, smelling and smooching - but it has to do for us as it does, no doubt, for many other families. But even so, when it is all over and there's no residual scent of the kids on my clothes, then the tears fall - grateful for the little contact that there is; sorrowful for what is missed on a day-to-day basis by virtue of time and distance.

I can always dream that the Star Trek teleporting device becomes reality - sooner rather than later. Then - it'll be "Beam me up, Scotty!" and off to the west coast I'll fly - without the inconvenience and discomfort of traditional air travel.