Child’s Play

Being stuck inside during the winter months can test everyone’s patience.
When there are little children in the house, the need to run off energy is paramount.
Constructive ways to remain active is so important.
Creative ideas are necessary.

Often, when my children were young, our family room became a maze of forts.
Blankets strewn over chairs and benches made wonderful places to hide.
The best moments happened tucked away in the fort where no one could find you.
The best snacks were those that were had in that secret place.

My children would bring books, and favorite toys into their forts.
The youngest one would inevitably call out, Mom, come find me.
I always took extra long in finding them since they truly believed they were hidden.
My hibernating children, under any blanket or quilt they could find.

Elaborate fort cities were constructed.
One tilt of a chair and a roof would cave in.
Cries for help never went unanswered.
Usually an older brother or sister would come to the rescue.

I often wished I could join them in their play.
Unless invited, I stayed out of their secret fort.
I had to scrunch down in order to get my tall frame inside their wooly abode.
Once inside, only cross-legged sitting would do.

Elaborate play was taking place right in our family room.
Entering the world of imagination one blanket at a time.
Keeping the enemy and the dragons at bay was the only concern.
Protecting the food rations from those that would steal them was the goal.

Child’s play.
Fort building.

The sad thing is that we grown-ups have forgotten how to play.
We only venture into the world of imagination if invited.
Scrunch down to fit into that world?
We have more important things to do with our time.

Play is a child’s work.
We have taken free play out of schedules that are far too packed with activities.
We have removed free play from the school day.
We expect small children to sit like adults, perform like adults, and act like adults.

We really need to build more forts.
We really need more blankets strewn across chairs.
We really need a snack of Goldfish to keep the enemy away.
We really need a safe place to hide until we want to be found.

My husband is a professional.
A man with advanced degrees; the mind of an engineer.
A man whose job requires seriousness and attention to details.
A man with people under him who respect him and admire him.

My husband is working from home today because of another snowstorm.
He took a break and decided to shovel the walkways as we wait for the plow to come.
As I sat down at my computer, I saw him.
The professional, the father of five, the man with enormous responsibilities at work.

He was building a snowman.
Right before my very eyes.
The fifty-something man was a little boy.
Perhaps the little boy has never left him.

Good that it didn’t!
Good that he hasn’t forgotten how to play!
Good that the world has not taken its toll too much!
Good that the little boy emerged from the shadows of adulthood!

As I watched, I was tempted to join him.
I wasn’t invited.
This was his moment; this was his playtime.
What a special moment it was.

He waved through the window when he saw me at the kitchen table.
He motioned for me to come to the door.
I took the invitation and braved the cold wintry blast to admire his snowy creation.
Perfect snow for building a snowman, he said to no one in particular.

I went back inside and heard voices.
I looked out a few minutes later and saw neighborhood children all bundled up.
Neighborhood children reaching down into the snow to roll a snowball for the head.
I went back to the door and a blast of cold air hit me.

You have helpers, I said and the children smiled.
The playing field was leveled on our front lawn, building a snowman in the snow.
Perhaps world leaders should learn to build snowmen.
Perhaps the best prescription ever written for what ails us is simply: Go out and play!

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”  (Zechariah 8:4,5)

Once again, children will be playing.
All ages of children will be playing.
Good for them.