Playing

Dear Readers,

I remember when I was first going through my student teaching days, getting ready to become an elementary school teacher, I had a particularly hard review by one of my university observers. I was devastated. I wanted to quit, and almost did. But another supervisor said she hoped I didn’t, because I had such a wonderful sense of play. I stayed. 

I think having a sense of play is important in life! To me, play is a way of looking at things in a different way.  It’s doing everyday things with an attitude of fun. 

(Now note, I can’t always do this, but when I do, I am happier!)

Play is different for each person. What brings me joys and a sense of fun, might not be what you like! For me, play is walking and noticing little details of the bigger world. It’s taking nature photos. Play is holding hands with my husband. Even laundry can be playful, if I smell the fresh sheets, try to fold the fitted ones, and laugh. Or even trying to find missing socks! That is an adventure!

Too often, in my later years of my drinking, I carried the world on my shoulders. The drinking made me depressed, anxious, and I was slowly losing my sense of play. Everything became a chore. Early recovery was hard, and there was a lot of shame, and regrets I had to deal with. But even then, I slowly discovered play. I noticed other people in long-term recovery were laughing a lot. I wrote little poems to people I met in treatment! This is when I discovered writing, and my love of walking.

Playing is discovering new things, in my own backyard, as well as new places! You don’t have to have money for playing! Playing is joyful! Play is pretending! Meeting a friend for coffee, is so very simple, but is a form of play. Dressing myself is a form of play to me!

I know one reason my marriage is so strong, is how much my husband and I have adventures and have a sense of play together. Our adventures can be as simple as driving to a new part of the area we have never been in, or a far away vacation. At our age, however, we found out the hard way to be careful of piggyback rides! LOL

When I was in some deep depression, especially after losing my hearing, I struggled each day for almost a year. Yet, it was essential that I kept looking at ways to lighten my mind with play. I was slowly able to see the ways to laugh at my problems, even while having them. I realized that I needed to play in order to heal. 

Play is having an open and grateful attitude. It’s creative. It’s one form of love. I am very grateful today.

With Fun and Play,

On Day 1729,

Wendy