Chasing Fireflies

"We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." --Benjamin Franklin

As my forty-fifth birthday fast approaches, I've been finding myself frequently mentally scrolling through the last forty-something years of my life and asking--What have I done? Whom have I become? What do I stand for? And  just where the heck am I going? Happily married-CHECK...college educated-CHECK...raised my girls-CHECK. My career path, well that's taken some funky twists and turns, of late, but I'm learning how to take that in stride and adjust accordingly, because that's life! Rarely do things in life go as planned. One thought, however, dominates all of the others in my mind, as I ponder and reflect, and that is, "Whom have I become?" I am someone who tells the truth, has the worst poker face, ever, treats people the way I want to be treated, works hard, frequently talks too much, is devoid of patience most of the time, has a smart mouth, and if left to my own devices, is way too serious (i.e.the type of serious where you could shove a piece of coal up my butt and I'd poop diamonds). NOT good! Fortunately, the Universe has taken pity on my malaise and given me an immediate family that is adept at tapping into my inner "silly"! Some stuffy psychologist somewhere might call this getting in touch with my inner child, and that's fine. It's about time "little me" had a safe place to come out and play, anyway. For those who share my affliction of "tends-to-be-hyper-serious," here are some things I strongly recommend:

*Buy a pair of good bunny slippers (or other fun characters) for those times of day when you really just want to punch someone! They are a great diffuser of all things "grump" related, and you'll save yourself a trip to jail on assault charges! I got my slippers from www.bunnyslippers.com! I highly recommend them!

*Do something goofy and unexpected at least once a day, such as taking a small bottle of bubbles with you to work and blowing some on your lunch break!

*Keep something happy on your desk or in your pocket for times when you need a "joy-intervention" (I have a finger puppet hippo wearing a pink tutu I keep handy for high-stress emergencies and if that doesn't work, I have a jar filled with rubber ducks).

*Eat something frivolous from your childhood that makes you happy at least once a week (I'm prone to cherry poptarts).

*Listen to good music at least once a day and if spontaneous bursts of dancing occur, even better!

*Hug strangers (and friends, and family--OFTEN)!

*Take frequent breaks from technology of all kinds and invest your time and attention on real people, in the real world, face to face (i.e. go for a long walk with a friend or sit under the stars with someone you love and just be in the moment).

*Laugh hard at least once a day (preferably not at another's expense, because that's not nice).

*Don't outgrow Dr. Seuss books (and their messages). The most important life lessons can be found in them.

*Pamper your feet! Not only does it feel good, but it also helps inspire you to let them take you more places!

*Never get too old to chase fireflies!

Even if we live a long life by human standards, we are still barely a blip on the cosmic radar. Any moment, every moment that we waste is a tragedy, as we will never regain that wasted time. We can't beg, borrow, or steal it back. Most days I don't know the answer to "Where the heck am I going?", but what I do know is I am remembering to have fun on every leg of my journey.

*Image from pinterest.com

---