| “Life is more fun if you play games”. – Roald Dahl |
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New Year – New YOU!! My resolution is to be super duper. A NEW life; thinner, organized, I’m going to sew all my own clothes, make wonderful new contacts and be a power hiker. I’m going to be all around better. A NEW me. I’m fibbing. This year, 2023, I’m still going to be me.I respect and honor the power of a new year or fresh start; my mother would ONLY start things on a Monday – new diet, new routine, new project. However, the pressure to make big life changes causes debilitating resistance in me to the concept of “New Year’s Resolutions”. The core truth of it, I’m not, ever, going to be a “new” or different Heather. The best I can do? Accept this Heather and work hand-in-hand with her to make life as beautiful as possible. In May of 2022 we welcomed Dolly, a rescue dog, into our home. She’s a creature of the early morning. We are not (nor is our other dog Phoebe). Dolly, unbridled excitement, ready to meet the day, she wakes us up by gently placing her warm velveteen lips on our nose or cheek. Barely there, the smallest amount of pressure producing only the sensation of softness and love on our skin. Her hot moist breath mixing with her icy little wet nose as she waits patiently for our eyes to flutter. Then, rough wisps of whiskers move closer, brushing our skin, the smell of sweet musky puppy fur, her wide-open eyes convey, “Hi Friend, I’m here too!! Let’s play and explore and be together on this beautiful day”. I envision this New Year arriving just like that; like Dolly’s sweet, precious morning greeting. Gentle, warm, all the loves and softness welcoming friends to the first breath of morning to play, laugh & explore.Remember playing as a child? We’d attempt everything; hanging from the monkey bars, learning hand-clapping moves & cat’s cradle, working hard to nail that latest dance craze, crafting recklessly with glue and macaroni. This wasn’t playing to master, it was playing to explore and take part. Playing as a way of being in this life.Do you realize you can still play? Instead of working on the “new” you, try playing as the you that you are right now. Instead of a New Year’s Resolution, make a Gentle Aspiration to rediscover playing and make playing with life a priority this year. We all made it through some super tough years. We earned the right to be good with exactly who we are and play. Play with the world, play with new ideas & experiences, toy with new hobbies, play with tools, play with being silly. Happy New Year Friends. We’ll meet you on the Monkey Bars. With Love, Heather & Wade |