"Its a happy talent to know how to play."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do I know how to play?
I know I am smiling more since I have vowed to be nicer. Smiling usually entices more play. When we are smiling we feel much more comfortable, carefree and relaxed. When we are carefree we tend to do 'fun' things more comfortably like belting out a song, baking a batch of cookies, scrap booking, colouring or dancing around our living room like maniac. These all sound like play activities to me. Everyone has there own idea of 'play'. But looking at my daily activities, do I play enough?
I don't think I do. I get my self caught up in tasks. "oh, the dishes need to be washed" " The stairs need to be vacuumed" "I need to put away the laundry". When we worry to much about tasks we lose sight in the moment, the special impromptu moments that elicit play. I realize that as adults we can't run around 'playing' all the time. We need to be conscious of our responsibilities, but I know that myself especially, I get way to caught up in what needs to be done and my to-do list that I lose sight of the happy moments that may just disappear.
Like the first time Charlotte climbed the stairs with me and she needed my help for the last time. I helped her up the first step and she did the rest on her own. She smiled at me like she was say "I did it" and she laughed and laughed! That precise moment will never happen again. Now she does not want my help up the stairs as she can do it alone. That was a moment of wondrous fun. It allowed for smiles and giggles and play!
Unfortunately moments like those sometimes only come around ever so often, and we are all guilty of letting them slip by with out any recognition, becasue we were just to damn busy to notice.
I vow today to make this day full of more play. I am going to slow down. I am going to take advantage of every opportunity to have fun. I am going to worry about my to do list less, and realize that in my memories I will never remember if the bed was made today, but I will remember how happy I felt.
I am going to smile more, sing more, dance more and play more.
Today will be a good day.
I hope you have a playful day!
much love,
Jessica
Good post Jess! I need to do the same thing most days!
ReplyDeleteThanks care!
ReplyDeletewe are definatly all guilty of not living in the moment.