What? Take time to play?

Do you take time to play? Or did you grow to adulthood (as I did), thinking that play was only for children? That life is a very serious affair?

Let’s get rid of that notion right now. Play and fun—those things aren’t just for children anymore. And, yes, life is serious … but it doesn’t have to be all the time!

Have you experienced times of pure fun and noticed how much better you felt afterward? There is absolutely nothing like laughing until you feel your sides will split. There’s nothing like losing yourself in something that really has no productive purpose. It’s good to remember that we’re human beings, not human doings. We don’t always have to be productive!

Silly is good
Even at my age, I love swinging. I love spending time at a zoo—and sometimes imagining that the animals are watching me as much as I am watching them. I love playing “tea party” with my granddaughters. My 11-year-old granddaughter and I have so much fun telling stories. One of us will start a story and will break off, sometimes even in mid-sentence, and let the other one continue. Then that person continues the story and passes the baton to the other again. Back and forth we go. Oh, the crazy, imaginary stories we can create that way. We laugh till we’re nearly sick. But do we have fun! Olivia often says, “Oh, Grandma Sonia, you’re so silly.” But she says it with such love, and I take it as a total compliment!

What do you do that’s fun? Do you schedule play time? Maybe you should. Make today the day you begin to live with more happiness, joy, fun and play in your life. Let’s stop taking ourselves so seriously all the time. See if it doesn’t add better balance to your life.