Follow Lausanne Hugo on Google+
Can you remember the last time you had child like fun? Like playing in the mud and getting dirty? As adults we get so busy with life that we forget to live! Play is the universal language of children. But, does that mean that adults are not allowed to play?
“Stop being childish “or “you’re such a child” are words I hear often in my practise. Adults believe that always being serious means that they have grown up. But doesn't being grown up also mean that you have the ability to know that all things come in balance? We cannot be serious all the time. Within ourselves there is still an inner child, yearning just to play and to have fun.
The other day the funniest thing happened to me. I was busy packing away clay when a young child asked me “what is that?” I explained to the child that I’m packing away the clay because I don’t want it to get hard. The child then asked me what I do with the clay and I responded that I played with the clay. The young child looked at me in confusion and said: “but you are big, big people don't play”. I found it very interesting that this child was thinking “what a strange lady”. But it gave me great perspective in how children view grownups, as people who don’t play. No wonder they feel like we do not listen to or understand them.
By this I am not saying that adults should stop being responsible people, but I’m suggesting that they have more child-like fun. When was the last time that you played an arcade game, or played in the sand, or painted with your fingers? We need to sometimes stop what we are doing, take a breath and have fun. Play can recharge your batteries and give you the opportunity to have fun with yourself, your partner and/or your children.
Here is a suggestion: Go stand barefoot on the grass, feel the grass under your feet, dig your toes into the ground and feel how cold it feels. Take a moment from your busy life and just “be” for a moment….Remember that you are not a super hero, you need to take care of you inner child. If you’re inner child feels satisfied, your parent and your adult will have more energy to do the things they need in order to be serious and responsible people.
Getting back to the question: Is play only reserved for children? I would like to believe not. Inside all of us is that young child asking: “when are we playing again?”. Feed your inner child and remember that in our busy lives, we still need to live.
Lausanne