The Art of Play

"Play is the highest form of research." ~Albert Einstein

I don't know why once we grow up we forget to play, but often we do. It's stupid, really, because when we allow ourselves to get so caught up in grown-up things that we forget the joys of simple things we lose part of the essence of life. I am terrible about this, with a tendency to become so serious even I can't stand to be around me when I've gone too far. Dr. Phil's famous quip, "How's that workin' for ya?" comes to mind. The good news is times they are a changin'. I'm remembering what life is supposed to feel like from one day to the next instead of what society tells me I ought to be "doing".

I know that part of my problem is I feel like if I'm not doing something my brain tells me is in the "Productive Member of Adult Society" category, then I'm teetering on the brink of "lazy and irresponsible". Whether this has any merit is debatable, but childhood experiences programmed me to think this way and it's extremely difficult to untangle that wiring. I think when my girls were small, it was an issue I really didn't notice because I could get my "play" on with the girls and fulfill those parts of me that really needed it! When I was in the classroom, I fed my inner child by playing with my students...drawing for them, coloring with them while they were working on projects, reading to them, etc. A few years ago, when life slammed me with a series of very grown-up problems, it became clear that my life, my personality was desperately missing permission to play (...which also made those grown-up problems seem even more bleak). It's still a challenge for me sometimes to just unclench, let go, and hone my art of play skills but I'm getting there. Today I gave myself permission to go out in the snow with the express purpose of releasing my inner child from her serious cabin fever! Together we made a pretty awesome snow angel! High five little/big me!

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