I am hard-pressed to think of anything more indulgent and luxurious than to tip-toe back into a quiet house after running and getting back into my jammies, back into bed and try to catch a few more zzz's before the kids wake up.
Especially if it's sunny and fresh outside my bedroom window.
LOVE it.
And, yes, I realize this is turning into a running blog - and honestly it may be. I am learning so, so, so much more about (an already entrenched passion in me) how our relationships with our bodies (and health) directly relate to and tie in to our relationship with God. I am learning so much more and more.
And what I am learning is all good news!
But if God actually is trustworthy and kind and all I know Him to be - letting go and enjoying that should really all look very different in me. Running is showing me what that means right now. Trail running with girlfriends is becoming my canvas of play. And the new place of beauty I am learning so much in right now.
"Stuart Brown has done wonderful research on play - his book has really helped me get my head and heart around play. Rather than defining play, Brown proposes seven properties of play. One property of play is that it's time spent without purpose. In our culture that's also known as an anxiety attack. Our TO-DO lists are so extensive that we feel like slackers if we're not working to check off tasks every single minute of the day and night. Even sleep has started to feel self-indulgent.
Brown also identifies losing track of time as an important property of play. Understanding this property of play has taught me a lot about myself. For me, nesting is play. Piddling around my house is play. Editing photos is play.
Brian Sutton-Smith writes, "The opposite of play is not work; it's depression." The more I play, the more I believe it."
4 comments:
Ahhh, play. Something that I am having to learn to value as an adult. I was old before my time due to circumstances in my family of origin, but this Lent I committed to collage every day. It was a beautiful, healing form of play. And I've been so sad to see it slip through my fingers with Lent over. So this morning (the first day of our first full week of summer break), I made time to collage before starting laundry and the other assorted tasks awaiting me. I need to learn to play - need it more than I even realize.
I love this quote! And all that you are learning- so freeing and not a subject I have ever heard much about. You are inspiring me to begin to really think about my health- I am in such need of making time to exercise again.
Word girl - that is so cool. I collage, too, and it's such a blissful thing to loose myself in.
Jessica - I know - I wish more people wrote about it. I am hoping to get that book (the link) and read more about this angle on it, too.
Totally agree with WordGirl's assessment of losing play (and even an awareness of play as a need) in adulthood. I love how you sharing your heart so often points to areas of my own heart I need to examine. You're like a second set of soul eyes. :-)
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