Day 133

9/24/22

Play is really for the young! That knock down, give it your all, nothing left on the table play! Just ask Lilly and Ranger. Notice them peeking through the French doors! Even though I consider myself young at heart, that magical, mystical imaginary world is hard to penetrate.

To our amazement, Gus plays with Sam as if the puppy is made of fragile glass! Sam can dish it out and Gus takes it in stride and is extremely gentle with his little brother. That is a gift we do not take for granted!

When I was young, I remember going into another world when I was playing. It was almost startling when I would be called away from my imaginary world, because reality came into focus. It is akin to reading a wonderful book. I can travel to another time or place in the grasp of a good novel.

When my own children were little, I tried to go to the world of make-believe with them, but I had somehow lost the ability to join them. Much like Chris Van Allsburg's book, "The Polar Express," it is hard to hear the bell chime in my adult world. I hear small shimmers of chimes when I am immersed in holidays, writing, day dreams, excellent literature or even Disney World! Still, the magic of childhood imagination is slightly elusive now.

For my pups, I love to see the two youngest play together. Not that they are in an imaginary world, but they are unaware of anything around them. They play like the young...knock down, give it your all and nothing left on the table. When they are finished, they part as buddies and find a place to curl up for a well-deserved nap.

There is a lesson there for me. I am too driven by projects, deadlines and other "non-play" tasks. Perhaps, if I give my imagination a little more "play time," I could become more and more like Peter Pan. Who knows? It can't hurt to try!