So it is the last day of the year and one of those days I should be working my ass off to finish up tons of projects, but honestly all I want to do is play. So why is it that we think it is ok for kids to play, but we don’t support adults playing as much. I have been, and am still, working on remembering that play not a guilty pleasure. Play brings me joy. It helps me have healthy relationships with others. It keeps me creative. It helps me solve problems and it is fun.
Play is me looking at or making art. It is about me reading books, watching movies because I want to, not just because I have to. It is about me being stupid and laughing and dreaming and flirting with my wife. Play is what keeps me feeling as close to my wife after 15 years as I did when we first met. Play is what I do with those I love and it is a safe way for me to begin relationships with people I don’t know yet. Maybe that is why I love doing Pampered Chef parties; they give me a chance to play with others.
Play for me is that which fills me with moments of surprise, pleasure, joy and connection to the universe in a way nothing else can.
Play does not have be about something I do, it can just be how I am feeling. I love to crochet for example and that is fun and playful and creative, but I have friends who hate it and would not consider that play. Play for me is about remembering not to take everything seriously.
During those times when I am struggling, I surround myself with playful people and kids and people I love. Their energy fills me and the environment and before I know it I am playing