Play is on my mind today. K. was mentioning a post about Mr. Rogers that I put up earlier this year, and it made me think of the quote you see above, I love it. And it made me wonder and think about play...
Play is something I personally struggle with. I am the oldest of two, and I am a born boss. I love to plan, know what the plan is, execute the plan, make others follow my plan... you get the drift. So, to find play and make it a part of my everyday life is no small task. Damn. There I go, making play into a task.
We're going to visit my lovely sister and her husband this weekend in San Diego and one of the many reasons I love spending time with them is that I know we will play. Why? Because my sister loves to play - that is where her mind goes first when she thinks about spending time. This joyful focus is something I have learned from her over the years, and the education continues every time we are together. I need to seriously learn about play. It is a lifelong job.
My sister plays in many amazing ways. She is an artist, a thinker, and the person you want to have around if your life needs a little more zest. She has certainly added a lot to mine. When my mind is saying, "What should I get done right now?" Her mind is saying, "What could I do right now?" A subtle, but important difference. (We all need both!)
One way that I incorporate more play into my life is to literally 1) take a minute to physically shake off stress, 2) blink my eyes really fast for a second, and 3) look around and ask myself the question, what could I do right now that would make me smile?
May you have a playful weekend. Try turning a task into something fun. Wait, that sounds familiar. How does the song go?
In ev'ry job that must be doneAdmit it, you want to go listen to it right now.... May your weekend be delight-filled!
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game
And ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree!
It's very clear to me
That a...
Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way
Hi Erin,
ReplyDelete'Play is really the work of childhood'. I LOVE that.
I think in so many ways we learn to leave play behind as we grow into adults. And I never really though about it until reading your post, that we should definitely incorporate play into our adult lives. For me, my children have been my best role models for play. There was a period as a young adult (from ages 18 - 25) where I kind of forgot about the creative things I had loved as a child - I was so focused on being a grown-up!
Since having my girls I have really rediscovered my creativity - and love to play - by making and crafting and creating! It has really refocused my entire life. Making me believe all sorts of things are possible!
There is one more aspect of play that I witness in my children that I haven't quite embraced: play is a process - it is about the joy of being in the moment, and not the outcome... still working on really absorbing that one!
Thanks for your thoughtful response, Hana. How great that having kids has given you freedom to create and a new lease on what life can be about. And what a gift to give them!
ReplyDeleteFocusing on being a grown-up can definitely take away real play, and the fun of being alive. That's what I love about feeling creative, it makes life feel like... a happy adventure? :-)