Countdown to Contentment ~ Day 20

Loving ourselves and life from where we are 

I’m counting down to contentment — to the starting date of my new sacred journey course,“Creating a Life of Contentment,"  which begins Sept. 15. For one entire year we will travel together as intimate companions: to relax, let go and rest into Love; to discover the bliss of our own life. You can learn all about it here. 

Play

We had a family wedding recently. My 29-year-old daughter got married to the love of her life. As her mother, I am so grateful that she has found true love. (Mothers know when it’s “true” or not, yes?)

He’s a great guy, so like her—a super sense of humor, playful and fun.

At their wedding they gave the guests favors: Tiny Chinese take-out boxes filled with candy and small bottles of bubbles with the teensiest blowing wand you’ve ever seen. How fun is that?

Though I didn’t see too many guests blowing bubbles. Which made me think how often we resist being childlike, silly, having carefree fun. Casey and Aaron wanted nothing more from their wedding guests than for them to have a good time—gaiety in celebrating love, the joy of being alive.

As we journey deeper into contentment it may involve returning to childhood, giving ourselves permission to play; to do all the things that naturally delighted us as children. Run, jump, play hide-and-seek. Build sandcastles, pick wildflowers, stand in the rain and jump in the puddles afterwards.

Play brings feelings of delight and ease—naturally. Who wouldn’t want more of that?

I sense that sometimes we are too self-conscious to play. (“Uptight” was the word we used for this in the 1960s). We may be worried about what others will think of us if we engage in “immature” ways. Perhaps we need to let go of our “propriety” and play more.

In recent years, one of the most childlike things that has brought delight to my life is playing on the playground with my grandchildren. Not just watching them play from a distance, but actually cavorting with them. 

Swinging. Hanging on the monkey bars. Going down the slide. They really laugh at that one—Grandma gliding down the big yellow tube to land on her bottom in the dirt. Just thinking about this scenario brings a smile to my heart. Contentment whooshes in. Ah, good times.

What could you do today that would be playful? Something you haven’t done in a while because it is just plain silly, fun?

I have two unopened bottles of wedding bubbles here. I think I know what I’ll do with them. I’ll open one now and blow tiny bubbles. I’ll save the other for when my granddaughter comes to visit. I sure hope at age 10 she’s doesn’t think she’s too old to blow bubbles.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ 

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play 

and to look up at the stars.    
~Henry VanDyke

 

Register for the "Creating a Life of Contentment" course this weekend and receive a free book of your choice from me. I love giving gifts away! Get yours here.