Leave Time for Play

The other day a couple friends and I decided to go blueberry picking. Last year I picked so many I was able to freeze enough bags of blueberries to last the entire year PLUS I had enough to make blueberry jam, some to keep and some to give as gifts. I was anxious to do a repeat performance. We arrived an hour before the gates opened to the blueberry farm so, since I was driving, I ferried us over to a nearby park where we sat and luxuriated in the early morning loveliness while we waited for the appointed time.

This is the same park where I often go to sit and study, write and just be. I leaned against the cypress tree in my usual place and played in the dirt. I found this fun, meditative and good for my soul. And it got me thinking about play. About how serious we often become once we “grow all up”, not allowing our true selves to enjoy the experience of life. The more years I spend walking around on planet Earth, the more I come to understand that we are all just kids inside. And I have been honoring that within myself for the past couple years, especially since being a kid was something I really didn’t have a chance to be.

I grew up in a rather unpleasant home and I was forced to grow up quickly just to survive. This resulted in all manner of dysfunction that I have been working to repair most of my adult life. No worries – we all have smelly stuff we bring with us into adulthood – I’m no different from you. But one thing I’ve enjoyed a lot is reclaiming that which I didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy as a youngster. A couple of years ago I decided to grow my hair out long enough to braid. As a child I had very long hair but was never allowed to wear it down, it always, always had to be up in a ponytail. Nor would my mother (God bless her soul) braid it for me. When I had my own daughter, I loved to braid her hair and did so probably more than she wanted. So I grew my own long enough to braid it though I have since cut it a bit shorter but I enjoyed the process.

I also have a habit of collecting bits of broken down furniture on the side of the road and love to paint and decorate each piece as a child might. It gives me a tiny little tickle of delight to play in this way. Rather than buy things because they “match”, I find items that make me smile each time I see them whether they fit a color scheme or not. I go with what feels good, good, good and makes me happy.

Life really is quite short. Let your inner child play. The adult in you just might enjoy it.