Despite having Monday off due to Memorial Day, last week still seemed extremely long (and for reasons I can’t exactly pinpoint). So when I was almost home from work on Friday, a thought crossed my mind. I didn’t want to make anymore decisions or do any grown up things the rest of the day. While it didn’t quite work out that way, it was fun to think about!
If I could stop “adulting” for a bit, the first thing planned would be a celebration—no deadlines and no obligations is cause for running, jumping around, playing, and perhaps even climbing a tree. That is with the assumption that I also had the energy of a child again. I vaguely remember being a kid and not having a care in the world. (Other than when meals and snacks were, of course!) If they weren’t already outside, I would wonder if the neighbor kids were home, and if so, I hoped they wanted to play outside for hours until dark. If we got really lucky, they’d even invite us over! (I have 5 siblings, so as you can imagine, that didn’t happen often. You can’t invite one without the rest!)
I would also do lots of reading. Nowadays there’s just never enough time to curl up in bed, on the couch, or porch swing and read an entire fiction novel in one sitting. I can’t remember the last time I did that! To have the uninterrupted hours to be able to do something like that just once… Even if it’s just a 200- to 300-page novel!
You’ve probably seen the adult coloring books popping up at every store. Their creators are genius! That is another thing that would be on my list as well. Coloring is such a therapeutic process. While you’re focused on keeping the color of choice inside the lines (or perhaps not), the project doesn’t require so much attention that you can’t daydream simultaneously. It’s healthy! Why did we stop coloring once we “grew up”?
My husband ordered a hammock recently, so you can probably guess what I’ll be doing this evening before the sun goes down! If the hammock is spoken for (it works best with just one person), I have an amazing covered swing that has my name on it, especially after a particularly stressful day at work. That is my favorite place to read!
How cool is it when we discover and ponder things as children do? The inquisitive mind of a child (as illustrated perfectly in the photo above) is such a beautiful thing.
Do you remember the last time you were in awe of something so fascinating that you couldn’t quite wrap your mind around it? Did you feel like a kid again? That’s what I absolutely love about watching illusions and magic tricks, especially when I can’t figure out how it was done or what was going to come next.
When did we stop coloring, playing outside, and reading? If only we could slow down and remember that we don’t know everything, and that we don’t have to have the answer to everything. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to carve out some “kid time” this-coming weekend! If you have kids of your own, I’m sure they wouldn’t be opposed to helping you with the itinerary.
ENJOY!
Journal Java
- If you could stop “adulting” for a day, a week, or even a month, what would that mean to you?
- What would you do during your anti “adulting” time?
- What is something you stopped doing after you became an adult that you would like to starting doing again?