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Play

Let your inner child out to play! Here is laughter and fun. Let’s share stories and jokes and funnies. Sometimes we’ll have some serious thought, but not too often. Our inner children want to play. Come on let’s have some fun!

The Girl Who Didn't Know How to Play

12/6/2019

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This is a story for all the adults out there who have forgotten how to play. Our inner child can be completely submerged beneath all the responsibilities, doing and purpose of adult life. That's when we forget. So read on and meet Rosalind. See if she feels just a little bit familiar.  
​
Rosalind was eight years old. She had brown, curly hair and a nice smile. Rosalind was a great kid, but she didn’t know how to play. It was such an odd thing, a child who didn’t know how to play.

At first she tried to hide the fact from the other children at school by joining in on the games at recess. The girls usually played hop scotch, throwing a rock in the first square and hopping on one foot all around it in the other squares.  Rosalind tried to play.

“Why do I have to throw the rock and hop in the squares?” She’d ask.  “Why can’t I let my other foot touch the ground? Are we graded on how well we play?”

The children would only laugh at her and tell her to go away because she was spoiling their fun. Rosalind stopped trying to play with them.

She tried to hide the fact from her teachers, and this was easy to do. After all everything they did at school had a purpose, it mattered, and she would be graded on her efforts. Rosalind was proud to be a good student. She worked well with the other students, completing projects on time and making sure everyone got their work done.
​
Rosalind’s teachers never figured out that she didn’t know how to play. But Rosalind’s parents knew. They knew because even though Rosalind kept very busy helping out around the house and building a doll house complete with furnishings, curtains, beddings and dolls; even though she had a bedroom full of stuffed animals and toys, she never actually played with them. They knew because at every meal time Rosalind always ate politely, keeping each food separate on her plate, and folding her napkin neatly after finishing. She never spilled her milk, or played with her food, or made a mess of any kind. You would think that her parents would be pleased but they weren't. They were worried.

One day her mother insisted that Rosalind invite a friend from school to come over to play. So she invited Beth, a girl she had worked on a project with who she thought was nice.

Beth came over and Rosalind’s mother said, “Why don’t I bring down Grammie’s trunk and you girls can play dress-up?” Rosalind nodded, and the girls soon enjoyed pulling out all the old clothes and jewelry.

Then Beth said, “I’ll be the queen and you can be my lady-in-waiting.”

Rosalind looked at her and asked, “Why?”

“Because it’s fun.” said Beth, “Come on. Put this on.” Beth handed her a pink, gauzy gown.

“OK,” said Rosalind. She put on the gown and it was a foot too long.  She dug through the pile of clothes and found high heeled shoes that pinched her toes and a sparkly veil that smelled of the attic and made her sneeze. Then she stood there, waiting. Beth looked at her.

“What are you doing Rosalind?”

“I’m waiting, lady-in-waiting, get it?”

“Rosalind. You have to do more than wait.” Said Beth.

Rosalind thought about it. What else was there to do? She could hardly move in the dress and ill-fitting heels. She was going to sneeze again, she could just feel it and what was the point of this anyway?

“Rosalind, don’t you even know how to play?” Asked Beth.

No, Rosalind didn’t know how to play. She knew she was missing something, something important, but it just didn’t make any sense to her. What was the point of playing? It accomplished nothing. She could better spend her time building something or cleaning her room or doing her homework. What was so great about playing?

Rosalind took off the gown and the high heels and the veil and put them neatly back in the box.

“Thanks for coming over Beth, but I think you’d better go home now. I’ve got homework to do,” and Rosalind went up to her room.
 
Soon, it was almost time for Christmas vacation and all the children, even Rosalind were beside themselves with excitement about the upcoming holiday. Rosalind ran home from school each afternoon to help get ready for Christmas. She helped her Mom and Dad string lights around the windows and on the bushes in front of the house and then helped them set up the Christmas tree and hang shining tinsel from its branches.  They baked Christmas cookies, filling the house with the wonderful smells of ginger, molasses and cinnamon. She loved helping to wrap presents and package up the cookies to give as gifts. She even helped to address and stamp the envelopes for cards and proudly carried the huge pile out to the mail box.

Christmas was full of important things to do and it was Rosalind’s favorite time of year. And this year Christmas was going to be better than ever because her parents had told her she was getting a special present, a surprise! Rosalind could hardly sleep for looking forward to Christmas morning.

Finally, Christmas morning arrived. She crept downstairs and the tree was all lit up. Presents were scattered about under the tree and her father was just walking into the room, tousle-haired with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

“Merry Christmas Rosalind! Looking for your present? Here it is.”

He pointed to a huge box under the tree. It was wrapped in bright red and white striped paper.  A frothy red and green bow bounced on top of it. Bounced? Thought Rosalind. Yes, there it was again. The bow was bouncing up and down on top of the box, and there was a scrabbling sound at the bottom of the present.

“Guess you’d better open it, Ros, before it opens itself,” said her father, reaching to put his arm around her mother who had just come in from the kitchen.

Rosalind was excited and mystified. She carefully undid the bow and as she did the scrabbling sound got louder. She looked at her parents, a question in her eyes. They only smiled at her. She pulled the top off the box.

A tiny, brown, wagging, furry puppy with huge ears, fell out of the box. Rosalind was enchanted. She reached down to pick him up and he wriggled in her arms trying to lick her face, her fingers, and her hands all at once. She held him up to feel his soft fur on her cheek, feel his warm, wet tongue on her face, and sniff deeply of the musty puppy smell of him. He wriggled with pleasure almost falling out of Rosalind’s grasp, but she held on until she could put him safely on the ground. There was no way she was going to let him get hurt. He was her puppy and she was going to take good care of him.

“I’ll call him Wriggles,” she said with delight, “Mr. Wriggles.”

Rosalind took excellent care of Mr. Wriggles. The two were inseparable, except when Rosalind had to be at school. He slept on her bed, had breakfast when she did, went out in the yard with her to get some exercise, had lunch and dinner when Rosalind did. When he made a mess in the house as puppies will, Rosalind cleaned up after him and showed him where the proper place was outside for such things. She brushed him everyday until his coat shone.  Rosalind loved Mr. Wriggles and he loved her.

One day, Rosalind was out in the yard with Mr. Wriggles throwing a little stick for him to fetch so that he would get his exercise, when Mr. Wriggles did an odd thing. He caught the stick in his mouth and then flicked his head sending the stick up in the air. The stick landed on the ground and Mr. Wriggles positioned his forefeet on the stick and kicked it backward so that it flew up under his belly and out between his hind legs. Then he danced around and placed his forefeet on the stick again and kicked it backward sending it flying. He leapt up into the air all four feet off the ground and did a pirouette in midair, landing so that he could kick the stick up again. He was clearly delighted with himself and kept kicking the stick, pirouetting, and kicking the stick again.

Rosalind started to laugh and she couldn’t stop. She fell down on the ground she was laughing so hard. Mr. Wriggles ran over to her and began to lick her face enthusiastically. Rosalind was howling with laughter, and trying to cover her face with her hands to protect herself from his wet, pink tongue. Then she jumped up, grabbed his stick and ran. Mr. Wriggles leaped after her and they played chase all around the yard. Finally, worn out, they fell down in a heap, Rosalind hugging Mr. Wriggles close. “I love playing with you, Mr. Wriggles,” she breathed.

“Dinner!” Her mother called standing at the back door and looking at them with a smile on her face. “Come in and wash your hands.”

It was Rosalind’s favorite dinner, mashed potatoes, peas and fried chicken, and she settled down at the table with her parents and dug in happily. Mr. Wriggles lay at her feet. Her mother had given Rosalind a large serving because she knew how Rosalind loved mashed potatoes and peas, but soon Rosalind was getting full.

The remaining green peas were sitting politely on her plate next to what was left of her potatoes and four, well gnawed, chicken bones. Rosalind looked at her plate.  Huh, she thought, what would it look like if I put the peas on top of the potatoes? She did. Then she smooshed the potatoes up around the peas building a wall around the green spheres. That looked pretty good to her and it felt fine to be mushing the potatoes all around like that. So, she picked up a chicken bone and stood it in the center of the mound. That's interesting, she thought. She picked up another one and stuck it in the side, and another one and stuck it in the other side. She picked up the last chicken bone and ...

“Rosalind! You’re playing with your food!” said her father, eyes wide and eyebrows arched so high they threatened to lift off his face.

“I am?” She replied, her own eyes wide. She hesitated only a moment. “I am!" Then Rosalind looked up at her father with a mischievous smile on her face and twinkling eyes. Lifting the last chicken bone in the air between two fingers, she plunged it into her mashed potatoes and giggled,  "It's fun!”
 
  
 


Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash 
 
  

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Sophia's Game

6/18/2019

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“Wisdom oft comes out of the mouths of babes.”
-George R.R. Martin

Our grandchildren and their parents were visiting with my husband and I on Father’s Day. We had just finished eating brunch. The adults were relaxing, sitting and standing around the dining and kitchen area, chatting.

Through the windows you could see sunlight shining on the leaves of the trees in the back yard. It reflected light onto the floor, where the two boys were playing with blocks.

My 8-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, plunked herself down in front of me at the dining room table. Her light brown hair curled around her face, escaping from the ponytail at the back of her head. She grinned and said, “Ask me a question. If I get the answer, I get a point. If I can’t answer it, you get a point.”

Sophia loves to make up games. She sets the rules in her favor and then she wins. I guess she figures if it’s her game and she makes up the rules, she should win. Good 8-year-old logic.

 “OK,” I answered. I thought for a minute and figured I’d stump her. “What is the purpose of life?”

She looked at me directly, her brown eyes intent. Her reply was immediate. “To be a good person,” she said. Then she laughed at the surprised expression on my face. “One point for me! Ask me another.”

I thought again. I wasn’t going to make it easy for her, and I was curious to see what she would say.  “What does God look like?” I asked.

Another immediate answer, “No one knows. God is everywhere.”
“Good answer, Sophia,” I said, smiling. 
 “I get another point! Ask me again!” She was really warming up now.

“How can I be happy?” I asked, sure I’d catch her.

“Do nice things for people.” She laughed, delighted with herself. “That’s ten points for me!”

I wasn’t sure about her math but let it go. Then I looked around at the rest of the family. “Help! I need some more questions.”

Her Dad was standing at the kitchen counter checking his phone. He looked up and asked her, “What’s the most important thing in the world?”

“To be a good person,” she answered.

Perhaps I should have called her on giving an answer over again, but it was such a good answer.

Her Mom, sitting at the dining room table, asked, “How do I be a good person?”

Instant reply from Sophia, “You can start by opening the door for someone even if you don’t know them. You could smile and say, ‘I hope you have a great day.’ Then, when you’re in a drive-through you buy something for the person in back of you so they get it for free.’”

We nodded and agreed with her.

“Twenty points!” She laughed and added, “More questions!”

With the score rising rapidly, her mother asked, “What’s the best way to connect with another person?”

“Through words and not talking loud.”

We all laughed. Sophia pouted. “I’m not trying to be funny.”
Evidently, this was serious stuff we were into.

“What’s the best way to make a friend?” Asked her Mom.

“Ask them, can you please be my friend?”

“The direct approach. I like it,” I said. Then, because I had to know, “What do Gramma’s do?”

“They take care of you if your mother goes far away.”

“What do Grandpa’s do?”

“They are very important because they are very good at things they’ve been working at for a long time and they are very nice.”

Her mother asked, “What do brothers do?”

“They play, play, play and don’t like to help with cleaning.”

“What do sisters do?”

“They like to read books and exercise. It’s very fun.”

And then I asked. “What do Daddy’s do?”

“They work. They sometimes have time to play with you and they call themselves ‘The King,” on Father’s Day.”
​
She won the game of course.  

 

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This is Sophia happily showing us her handmade doll.  If you are interested in knowing more about  beautiful dolls like this one, visit Golden Rosy Studio on-line. This is Sophia's mother's website where she sells gorgeous dolls similar to the one in the picture, each one lovingly handsewn and unique.
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Soul Games

3/1/2019

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​What is play? Ask the children. They’ll tell you that play is anything that is fun! It does not matter what it is. If you enjoy it, if it leaves you smiling and feeling emotionally energized, it is play.
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Lighten up. What does play look like for you? Fun and laughter? Smiles and song? Jokes and kidding around? Life doesn’t all have to be so serious.

Nor does play have to be a conscious effort. It can be the funny comment that lightens a heavy and serious atmosphere.

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​Allow yourself to play. Give yourself the gift of fun! Don’t get caught up in ‘seriousity’ for too long.
​
Think of this life as Soul Games.

​photo from Unsplash
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Monk Rock

2/5/2019

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​“From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.”
 — Dr. Seuss
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"If Laughter cannot solve your problems, it will definitely DISSOLVE your problems; so that you can think clearly what to do about them."
​ – Dr. Madan Kataria
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"He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."
​ — Proverbs 15:15
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Buddhadoodles.com Molly Hahn
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Laughter, It Does a Body Good

12/21/2018

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​Here are a few things a good belly laugh can do for your body:

​
  • Increases antibodies in saliva that combat upper respiratory infections.
  • Secretes an enzyme that protects the stomach from forming ulcers.
  • Conditions the abdominal muscles.
  • Relaxes muscles throughout the body.
  • Aids in reducing symptoms of neuralgia and rheumatism.
  • Reduces stress hormones.
  • Changes perspective.
  • Reduces blood pressure and heart-rate.
  • Improves cardiac health.
  • Helps the body fight infection.
  • Boosts T-cells.
  • Releases endorphins which provide natural pain relief.
  • Helps move nutrients and oxygen to body tissues.
  • Produces a general sense of well-being.

What are you waiting for? Laugh already!


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Your Super Power

11/27/2018

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“Rain, I don't mind. Shine, the weather's fine. Can you hear me that when it rains and shines it's just a state of mind?”
John Lennon
 
My husband has a super power. He has the ability to focus on the positive about himself rather than beating himself up. I’ve seen him do this in small daily occurrences and in major life events that would have had me obsessing about what I did wrong and how I should have fixed it. He also has a keen sense of justice so that when he is in the wrong he will admit it and make amends. He then lets it go. He is a cheerful, positive guy to be around.
 
This morning I saw his superpower in action.
 
My husband has a set routine in the morning when he gets up. Not quite awake and operating on automatic he lets the dog out and feeds her breakfast. He feeds the cat. He unloads the dishwasher. He brews coffee and makes toast with peanut butter. He pours one cup of coffee and the rest into a carafe. Then he takes it all downstairs to watch the news while he eats his breakfast. He has it all synchronized so that his toast and coffee are ready to eat as the other jobs are completed. He doesn’t have to think about it.
 
That is not his superpower.
 
On this particular morning however, the cat had thrown up a hairball on the floor during the night and he stopped to clean it up. It threw his whole routine off.
 
I came out to the kitchen, stumbling around to prepare my own breakfast. I could feel that he was discombobulated (love that word!) as we kept bumping into each other.
 
Finally, frustrated, I went to sit down and get out of his way to let him finish what he needed to do.
 
Finishing up he went downstairs, sat on the couch, turned on the TV, had a bite of toast and reached for a cup of coffee that wasn’t there. He hadn’t poured his coffee or put it into the carafe.
 
Instead of feeling irritated or annoyed with himself, his response was to laugh.
 
He came upstairs still laughing and told me the saga of the hairball that messed up his whole morning routine. He was still chuckling as he went back downstairs coffee in hand.
​
I could feel my energy lighten with his laughter.
 
That is his superpower.
 
Later that morning he cracked up again as he told the whole story to his friend on the phone. His friend laughed and responded with another funny story of his own.
 
An unimportant event that could have been an excuse for anger or irritation became a catalyst for enjoyment, lightening the energy of all those in the vicinity.
​​
That is a superpower. 
 
​
Photo by Court Prather on Unsplash

Your Spiritual Toolbox

​Cultivate your own super power.
 
How you respond to the events in your life is a choice.
 
Pay attention throughout the day today. How are you reacting to what happens?
 
Do you focus on the positive aspects of each situation or the negative?
 
My tendency, unlike my cheerful husband, is to focus upon what I didn’t get right or to feel irritated with someone else who didn’t get it right (as defined by me of course!) That only lowers my energy and creates more of what I don’t want.
 
Instead I now choose to focus my attention on the positive. How about you?
 
​Focusing on the positive can be as simple as just seeing the humor in a situation rather than the irritation.
 
Laughter lightens the energy of all those around us.
 
Rain or shine, it’s just a state of mind.    
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Journey to En-lighten-ment

10/8/2018

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​“The world is in serious condition largely due to our conditioning to be serious. Seriously.” 

"Realize that life is a situation comedy that will never be cancelled. A laugh track has been provided and the reason why we are put in the material world is to get more material."
​

― Swami Beyondananda


comic by Leigh Rubin, Rubes Cartoons
 
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Uplifting Laughter

10/8/2018

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"Laughter is the music of the heart."
-Author Unknown
​

Recently I attended a weekend workshop with a group of spiritually minded women. The two women running the workshop fed us with spiritual food for our souls and a smorgasbord of delicious vegetarian foods for our bodies. We felt nurtured and supported in the best possible way. The weekend was all about elevating our energy and was filled with the introduction of numbers of marvelous spiritual tools, meditations, music and rhythm, tuning forks, sacred geometry, Earthing information and tools, crystals, energized waters and more. It was all fascinating and I’ll share more about some of these useful tools in upcoming posts.
    
Spirit had still one more tool for us, laughter. By the last day of the workshop we all felt relaxed and comfortable, easily sharing and laughing. During one particular exercise I started laughing and couldn’t stop. Try as I might the laughter kept bubbling up from within. Anytime I even looked at one of the other women I started laughing again. Laughter is contagious. We were all laughing. It felt great.
   
Laughter is contagious for a reason. It is good for us.
    
Afterward I felt much as you would feel after having had a good cry, but in a positive way. I had released something through laughter that needed releasing. I felt easy and relaxed, smiling happily. I felt aligned, centered and loving. I felt as though I were expressing my true self and isn’t that what elevating our energy is all about? 


Photo by Bruce Tighe on Unsplash


​

Your Spiritual Toolbox

When I feel the need to relax and release with laughter and I don’t have a fun weekend workshop at hand, one of my favorite things is to watch YouTube videos of newscasters who can’t stop laughing. It is hilarious as they start laughing, and getting their fellow newscasters laughing until everyone is guffawing, tears streaming down their faces. At this point as I am watching I too am laughing. YouTube does a good job of recommending similar videos and after watching several of these in a row I am guffawing right along with them.

Search YouTube for old comedy sketches and TV blooper videos. The actors end up laughing and us with them.

Laughing baby videos are wonderful.

Give it a try next time you want to elevate your energy with laughter.
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    “Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things."

    -Kenneth Branagh

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​All materials provided on www.hollyhildreth.com are provided for informational, educational and entertainment purposes only and are not intended to be, or serve as a substitute for, professional medical/psychological advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or psychological condition.
​

© Holly Hildreth
  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Savor the Sweetness
  • Be of Service
  • Know Thyself
  • Follow Your Bliss
  • Play
  • Be Content
  • Trust God
  • Faster Emotional Freedom Technique-V