My first boyfriend broke up with me three days after my 18th birthday."You take life too seriously...you have the kindest heart, but you really need to lighten up," he stammered while repeatedly shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"I'll have you know that I am a whole bunch of fun," I retorted! (Yep, I was known for my zingers.) Later that night I buried my mascara-stained face into my pillow and imagined my future as a lonely cat lady.
During my sophomore year of college, a gang of my friends barged into my dorm room, tackled me from behind, blind-folded me, and then carried me to my own surprise party. Why such extreme measures? Determined to spend the entire evening studying for an exam that was four days away, I innocently thwarted their attempts to get me there without arousing suspicion.
After eight-months of marriage I hit The Professor with a pillow...in righteous anger. His offense? Short-sheeting our bed as an April Fool's joke.
Fortunately, all of those examples happened sometime during the last decade and I've come a long way in the fun department since then. But still, there are times when I get so entangled in the must do's, should do's, and want-to-do's in life that I neglect opportunities to simply let loose and embrace childlike wonderment...play.
Last night as Pumpkindoodle slowly put on her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and conducted other bedtime preparation rituals, I didn't hurry her. In fact, I didn't pay much attention to her tasks...I knew she could handle them. And, I didn't mind that she was creeping along at a snail's pace to delay going to sleep...the more slothful the better. I didn't mind because I was playing.
I got out the Lincoln Logs and taught myself how to build a little cabin...with a door, a roof, and windows. I was so excited that laughed out loud and clapped when I finished! I even took pictures.
No, it isn't much, and yes, there were probably better uses for my time...but for a solid 20 minutes I ignored being the stiff grown-up and I played. And when I finished,I felt zero guilt... because last night it was time to laugh.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 (New Living Translation)
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
23 comments:
Good for you! All of it. I'm especially proud of your log cabin, as I am building-incompetent, but lurrved trying my hand at those with my friend's brother's Lincoln Logs.
What a sweet girl you have, too!
Laughter is a huge gift.
Congratulations on learning to play! I have a hard time finding a balance in the play dept. Sometimes I play too much, and sometimes I let responsibilities rob me of a lot of the loosening up laughter of play.
That's a cute cabin and you are both very cute! ahhaah... especially the sweet little one :D:D
I love this post! It is so easy as an adult to forget to play! Thanks for the reminder!
Merry Christmas!
You and your daughter are absolutely precious! Ya'll look just alike (except, of course, she's a wee bit younger ;).)!!!
Have fun now - we only get to do this once! (I have more fun now than I used to - always so serious.)
I love Lincoln Logs. We sadly don't own any, but I can make one pretty awesome zoo of animals from Legos. :) It's funny how excited I get about the stuff I build. My little heart breaks as the girls tear my creations to pieces. hee hee
Blessings, friend! Praying you have a fun day!
From one who needs to lighten up more and more each day,
K
How fun!
I love those moments when we forget how old we really are and just enjoy ourselves :)
Good for you!!! It is easy to be caught in the day to day grind and miss those moments of play!!!
What a cute log cabin. It can be your gingerbread house for Christmas:)
Good reminder to just play and enjoy time!
I gotta get me some Lincoln Logs! :)
I used to have a lot more fun...I think it gets so easy to allow the daily stuff to bog me down and neglect my fun-loving side. Every so often God nudges me and reminds me that I haven't laughed enough lately! Your post was a great reminder that I need to loosen up a bit more, too!
I am laughing out loud and feeling like playing instead on doing the many things on my to do list.
I am glad to hear you had fun last night. Thank you for sharing and inspiring me to play.
oh, this is so good! thanks for sharing :)
I've been neglecting my play time lately. Time to ramp it up a bit! Maybe the next time the boys ask me to do something goofy I'll say yes. :)
I'm not really known for being a fun-time gal, either. My husband & my girl are jokesters, but I'm more serious.
Good for you...you let go & had some time to laugh!
Love yourself and set yourself free! Great post.
Yea for you, Angela!!!
There is something about Lincoln Logs and Crayola crayons that everyone should enjoy - even as an adult. So glad you made time to play.
And about the "You take life too seriously" bit - I once had someone tell me I'm "too sensitive." I don't know how you felt about the comment, but I was left thinking, If you know someone is too sensitive, why on Earth would you tell them they're too sensitive???
I can laugh about it now - but at the time? Not so much!
How much fun, I have never heard of Lincoln logs but now I want some too.
xx
This reminds me to take more time out to have fun and play. I am far too serious much of the time in my task as a homeschooling mother of 5. Kids thrive on seeing their parents letting loose and having fun.
I need to have more fun playing too!
I grew up with a dad that was a jokester and he passed that down to me. I have always enjoyed fun and a good joke!! I love that your husband short sheeted the bed!!!!
Play, we really need it but I, too, find it so difficult to balance the need to have fun with things like laundry, fixing meals, paying bills...the art is in finding the balance. I am glad you had such fun!
Take care,
Julie
Go to Target by six cotton solid colored shirts. When you start wearing at least three different ones a day you will know that you are playing to hard. I don't gauge my day by how many loads of laundry or if the dishes got done, but more by how many shirts I went through. Play more, build more and giggle a lot.
Post a Comment