We had two friends come to play today. Some would call that a playdate. Where did that word come from? I don't recall that word from my childhood. I would just run across the alley to my friend Val's house, or she would run across the alley to me. We would play on the swing set, or play the game, "SPUD" with a playground ball.
Today we had two friends come to visit my 3 year old. It was not complicated. It required no prep work. It cost no money. It looked a lot like my childhood when a friend came over. We grabbed paper bags and went outside. They found pinecones, pine needles, leaves, sticks and rocks. One of the boys called them "treasures". They played hide and seek, tag, and kick the pine cone.
When we came inside we made sugar cookies and frosted them. Who doesn't love that? They weren't distracted by screens. They weren't looking at characters made up by someone else. They were being themselves. It was all they needed. And really, all they wanted.
It all sounds so wonderful doesn't it? You would think this happens here everyday.... No. This has been the hardest lesson for me to learn. My kids have superheroes hanging on their walls. My son is wearing a Star Wars shirt. And really I suppose I think there is a small place for that. This is why I am a moderate minimalist. But I admit it creeps into our life far more than I hope it would. Days like today show me that children don't need piles of toys. So why is it so hard for me to resist buying the latest action figure? I guess old habits die hard. But today I came one day closer to living the kind of life I want is to live everyday.
No comments:
Post a Comment