When was the last time you just played for the day?

by Skip Cohen

It's been over ten years since I started writing Sunday Morning Reflections. I started it because I wanted to write about what I was feeling outside the business of photography. Going off track has become as much for me as it is for you. Often, a Reflections post is a blueprint for how I'll spend my Sunday.

This morning, I had a hard time deciding what to write about. I made the mistake of doom-scrolling through Facebook, which took me down a path of frustration and even depression. The world is a mess, and I simply didn't want to write about what so many of us already feel.  That's when it occurred to me that it had been a long time since I'd shared Melody Beattie's wisdom. She's an incredibly talented writer, and just like most of you who need that first cup of coffee in the morning, I needed something inspirational to get me going. ​

Let Yourself Play by Melody Beattie

​How long has it been since you played? How long has it been since you played at your life, had fun with it?

Our imaginations are so delightful when we're young. Watch a child sit in the middle of the floor and build castles with blocks. Watch a child play - any object can be anything, and anything can be fun. 
Life can pound that out of us if we let it.

Breathe life back into your imagination. Come back to life.
Let yourself see dragons in clouds and leprechauns in trees and velvet in a rose.
Imagine what it would be like to grab a handful of cloud.
Then touch the tree. And put the rose to you cheek. Let your imagination come alive.
​
Play the game of "What If?"
What if anything could be anything? What ​if life could be fun?

Sheila and I have declared today a "slug-day."  No plans ahead except a great breakfast and chilling with the pups. We're going to kick back, enjoy a day that's wholly stress-free, and play. We're going to follow Melody Beattie's lead and take the time to smell the roses!

Wishing all of you a day when you can put aside the noise of the outside world. Make whatever's in your heart a priority and take the time to recharge your battery! As always, go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs, and if you're tuning into this blog late, I read an article in AARP Magazine many years ago that talked about the value of hugs lasting at least eleven seconds.

And if you're dealing with something stressful in your life, take some time to step away. Find yourself a place in the shade of low-stress. Look around, and I'm betting what's really most important in your life is right there in front of you. Sadly, it's often hard to find under the baggage that the world has left on your doorstep.

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.