How did Wednesday get here so fast again? Good golly time flies! Well, let's get straight to the "wise words" of the day...
Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.
Dr. Kay Redfield
One of my closest friends is a Kindergarten teacher, and that quote was at the bottom of her email as part of her electronic signature. In actuality, the quote was a bit longer. The first part (immediately before play is not a luxury) was"Children need the freedom and time to play."
While I believe that is true, I have obviously taken this quote out of context as I am not a child educator, and she was not likely speaking about recovery. But the last words hit me so hard I just had to make them the focus! I still think it applies to everyone, not just to children, and to those in the recovery process too. Whether you are the one recovering or the caregiver or family member thereof, it is easy to forget about play. Really easy. It's also really easy to postpone it - and then to postpone it again. That's not so good.
A few years ago my sis JD went to Africa with an organization Right to Play International. We are so proud of her! For a year she worked at a refugee camp teaching kids how to play, and by extension how to take care of themselves (the value of health for example, and the practicalities thereof), how to work as a team (to cooperate, encourage, and that kind of thing), and to just be kids. They do a lot more than that, and if you click the link above, you can check out the organization - it's quite amazing really.
The point? Learning to play isn't just about playing when you are in a refugee camp. Actually, let me revise that - in real life, playing isn't just about playing. Playing is about relationship; building cooperation, resolving conflict, having a shared goal. Playing is about accountability; taking responsibility for participating (or not) on the team, for the choices you make that can affect the team or the outcome. Playing is about changing focus; having something to focus on that isn't work or pain or stress or recurrent nightmares or anxiety or fear. And, playing lends itself to a sense of community; celebrating victories, learning how to win with grace and lose with grace - and win or lose, to do so with others living in your "camp" who know your life. Playing with people who "get" the life you life right now, who have experienced what you have even if they've experienced it in a different way.
When did you play last? Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the "well, I'll just get through this next bout of treatment or this week of recovering from another trauma to the body...." and so on and so on. I have often thought "after this such and such I'll feel so much better and then we'll talk about, arrange, or actually do the fun stuff. And caregivers, I know you can feel so tired that the thought of taking the time to do something "extra," especially if it seems frivolous, is not a high priority a lot of the time. Fair enough in all cases.
The problem? Life is too short, play is too important, and the lack of play affects all aspects of life. It's easier to see the importance of play as it's application for the refugee camp I know, but go back up to the part about "playing isn't just about playing" and see all of the things that can be affected in our lives right now, when we don't take the time to play in the recovery process. Playing is about so much more than playing!
And you know what else? Playing is also about playing. About having fun. Experiencing joy. Taking a break from crazy-ville. Really focusing on your loved ones. Really connecting with family and friends, and especially spouses and children. Smiling. Exercising your laughing muscles. Having something to look forward to, and to look back on.
So play. It really isn't a luxury to indulge in when things start to look up - playing is a necessity right now!
Happy playing!
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