Do you want to play a game?

As a child; we learn to play…

It starts at an early age with rattles, mirrors, and toys to stimulate our developing senses. It carries over into adolescence when we would play tag, or ride our bikes outside for hours. We go off to college to learn the way of the world, make new friends, and find play by way of study groups, all nighters, eating, drinking, or typical college fun.

Then we grow up...

We get jobs, get married. Some of us settle down and have kids. We start worrying about how to pay the bills. We spend hours commuting to a job that may or may not be enjoyable, use another eight hours on the clock at that job, then several more to get home. After that; it’s time to get dinner on the table, or maybe workout. If you have kids, there are activities, bath, and bedtime. Finish all this, and maybe you can steal some time with a book before you fall asleep.

Throw any type of medical issue in the mix, and that adds time to and from the doctor, picking up the medicine, paying more bills, attempting to rest, and occasionally spending time with friends or your significant other. Oh, and we can’t forget grocery shopping, or the tons of other stuff left on your ‘to do’ list. Somewhere along the way, we get so busy...we forget to breathe.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

When was the last time you spun so hard you couldn’t stop laughing? Or climbed triumphantly to the top of the jungle gym? Or swung so high you felt like you could fly? When was the last time you skipped, or chased someone, or got so excited it took your breath away?

We get so busy; we forget how to have fun.

I was fortunate enough this weekend to attend a child’s birthday party. After the party, several of the parents, their children, myself and my husband went to the park. We ran around until our faces were red, and did all of those things that as adults, we have all stopped thinking about. It was the BEST afternoon I’ve had in a really long time.

I realized that I am at a crossroads in my life. I can continue to focus on all of the things that have gone wrong, or I can empower the positive attitude and smile that everyone associates with me. Life can be serious, but life also needs to be lived. We all need to step back, breathe, and evaluate. We need to remember what it’s like to have fun.

When it comes your time to do that…let me know. Maybe we can play a game.