Permission To Play

I was at the beach recently (surprise, surprise) and was thinking about all the things that made summer great when you were a kid. Remember those days when you would live in your swimsuit? You’d jump in the lake or pool or run through the sprinklers, eat grilled hotdogs, some chips and a popsicle, then go run around with your friends, play on the swings, ride your bike, etc. until it was time to come inside. And then, still feeling the warmth on your skin from the sunny day you’d put on your PJs and watch television with the family before bed.

The next day you’d jump out of bed and do it all again without a second thought. Maybe this time you’d go for an adventure in the woods, try to make a fishing pole to catch fish in the stream, build a fort, play some kickball with the neighborhood kids or flag down the ice cream man. And in the evening you might enjoy a bonfire and eat gooey s’mores. It didn’t matter, you were just living.

As a child, you were carefree and just enjoyed the day without thinking about yesterday or next week. Looking back, you probably don’t focus on the mosquito bites, the bee stings, the scraped knees, the stubbed toes, the dunking from your big brother, the silly fights you got into with your friends over which team won or the trouble you got into for forgetting to put your bike in the garage again. Aside from the laughter those memories may elicit, they don’t in any way hinder the good times you recall.

So why did it stop being that way for so many of us? When did we get too old for fun and frolicking? I think it probably happened when it became up to us to make sure all the needs were provided. Who can enjoy summer when someone has to pay for the gas to drive to the beach, someone has to pack up the chairs and sunscreen, someone has to keep sand out of the car, someone has to buy and prepare the food, someone has to make sure the bikes are maintained, someone has to keep the fire stoked and someone has to make sure that no one is getting hurt?

Somehow we appointed ourselves as that person, maybe rightfully so, but with it came the sacrifice of the freedom to play. A freedom you eventually convinced yourself that you no longer enjoyed anyway. But just like childhood memories, no one is going to remember if you forgot to bring every little thing and nobody is going to remember if the meal was only subpar or if someone got a little sunburned. They are going to remember YOU! How joyful you were. The fun you had spending time together. The laughter. The long walks and talks, the splashing in the pool, the scary campfire stories etc. And guess what? It’s going to be what you remember too! And it’s going to be what I remember! So let’s get out and play a little this summer…our inner-child will thank us!

“The child is in me still and sometimes not so still.” 
― Fred Rogers