Are times really better now?

I've been thinking about this lately. Back in World War 2 they didn't have the internet. They didn't have the luxury of cell phones and not everyone had a home phone. Regular postal service took a long long time. So how did our foremothers survive deployment? How did my grandmother survive my grandfather being gone for 2 years with only the occassional letter? She wasn't able to get phone calls. She wouldn't have ever known what email was. But she prayed for him, she missed him, and she stayed strong for him. She didn't have kids then. Women could work, so i'm sure that helped. But HOW did they do it back then? So that got me thinking too.....are we really better off now? Yeah we have email....we have the news right at our fingertips, we have satellite tv to keep us entertained, we have cell phones, home phones, and regular mail. We have anything we need right there waiting for us. But is that all good? I find myself going crazy some days just because i didn't get an email or a phone call. I love that we can get instant communication and it's so gratifying. But there is something to be said for waiting for a letter from the love of your life to come to your mailbox. Walking out there....each step you get more and more excited just anticipating it....is it there...did he send me something......you open the mailbox with a few prayerful words......and then you see it...the envelope with his unmistakable handwriting. Your rub your hands over it...you smell it trying to catch his scent on it somewhere. You read and re-read every word. It's such a great feeling! You can't wait to run in the house and grab some paper so you can write him back! You smile from ear to ear because today was letter day! I smile over phone calls and emails too....but nothing beats a simple letter in the mailbox. Holding that paper that he held. In some ways i think those simple things are really the best! but then i also really love hearing his voice. All in all...i'd have to say our communication efforts are the best now....but i also feel that back then....people were just better off spiritually speaking. They didn't have tv and movies and music that affected them like we have now. When they read it was predominantly the bible as well as some other not so racy classic novels. Not the smut we see now. They didn't have video games. They didn't have any of the things we have now. We think it makes our life simpler but does it really? We do have things to take our minds off deployment. But at what expense? They spent time in prayer for their husbands. We spend time trying to forget that he's gone for so long. Still doesn't leave me with a clear answer to whether we are better off now. But i do know that Grandma was on to something.....praying for my husband will do us both more good than sitting here wishing he'd call and being sad that he hasn't.