Step Nine: Have Fun

Dear Readers,

I was babysitting two sweet little girls the other day and while we were watching The Princess and the Frog (good movie, by the way) the two pretty girls wanted me to dance with them. So we stood up and started to dance. The lesson the Lord was teaching me only just began to sink in. Tonight, I turned on my Disney playlist (yes, I have a playlist dedicated specifically to Disney songs) and in between putting the dishes away I allowed myself to dance. As I spun around, doing a ditzy little twirl, it hit me – God was using those gorgeous girls to teach me a lesson. Sometimes we just need to have some fun, to cut back and let loose, no matter how old we are. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized God has been showing me this for... years.

Recently, my genius (and I mean that in a literal sense, she really is a genius – we are talking valedictorian, 4.8 GPA, 32 of 36 on the ACT) friend decided that she was going to dye her hair pink. When the pink didn't show up, she dyed it blue. Now, imagine a Rori Gilmore-esk girl, standing at the podium with blue hair... Classic right?!?! Granted by the time we graduate, all remnants of blue hair should have disappeared, but my smart friend taught me the same thing. We are never too old (or too responsible) to have fun. 

I used to volunteer at an old folks home, and I met the most amazing 97 year old woman. Her walker always had some kind of stuffed animal dangling from it, and in a side pocket she always kept some kind of sweet treats for any one of the little kids running around. Even with her hips hurting and her need for a walker she always did the cha-cha whenever we parted for the month. She was kind and sweet like her name (Ms. Daisy) and full of Texan sass. 

So here it is, don't get so caught up in your rank, responsibilities, age or any other thing that you stop having fun. It's important to enjoy yourself, and to do it without guilt for what you think you are supposedly sacrificing. 

Step Three AND Step Four (oooh aren't I impressive?!?!)

Dear Readers,

Step 3: Be "In the Moment"

Today on the flight home there were two girls my age or a little older. They were obviously friends and I realized they were both texting! I mean, we are getting ready to take off and they are texting away! The reality is that their interaction happened entirely between text messages! And after we took off they both put in head phones and stared in completely opposite directions! Come on!!! 3 hours of uninterrupted talking time and you want to listen to Justin Burper and Lady Gagme?!?! 

My heart actually broke a little as I realized that many of us do the exact same thing. Our relationships are forced to exist between the next 3 minute pop song and the next text message. How sorrowful that our technology is of higher priority than our relationships! So here is my challenge – if you want to live bold, you have to be present. So when you go out for coffee or lunch, put the phone or ipod away... the technological world can wait for an hour. When you are at home with your family, leave the computer monitor and the television off... the newest web story and the breaking news will be on again at 10pm. When you are in the car with your kids or siblings, turn the radio off... its amazing how much you learn about a person's heart in fifteen minutes! Technology is fantastic but we are letting it take priority in our life and that's just not right! So learn to be fully present in the moment, learn to truly be with another person, and don't let all that tech-y stuff distract you! 

Now I don't pretend like I have this down, I don't. In fact, there are times I deliberately use my technology to look busy so I won't have to socialize, so I won't have to be bothered with the task of actually paying attention and caring about the world and the people around me. I am learning. But I do know, when I look back on my life with God and He is pointing out all the awesome moments that I missed because someone just texted me and I just "have" to answer it! 

Step 4: Make It Into a Game (bonus points for the inclusion of bodily functions!) 

As a babysitter, the ultimate goal of the night is to get the kids into bed without having any serious injuries, fights, or temper tantrums. The easiest way to accomplish this is to make everything into a game. You have to eat your green beans – now we are in the rain forest and these green snakes are the only food we have left! You have to brush your teeth – who can hold the most toothpaste bubbles in their mouths without laughing? You have to take a bath – hmm does someone need a bath cause it sure is stinky!!! See 9 times out of 10 if you look like you are having fun doing it and you can get the kid to laugh about the task, your battle is won (for the remaining 10% scare tactics usually work... just kidding! =] ). Today as three worn out adults (myself included) fought one energetic but angry little boy to be quiet during the air planes decent, I witnessed something awesome: when we looked out the window and pretended to be excited about how close the ground was, the little boy went quiet (granted this didn't fix the ultimate problem but it helped). See, I think kids might be smarter than we are... why do we do things that we don't like? And more importantly, why aren't we making what we do fun? Some things just have to be done (like wearing deodorant) and they aren't always the most thrilling of chores but we have control of our actions and attitudes, so change your 'tude dude and make it fun (you don't just put on deodorant, you draw pictures in your pits ['cause that's not creepy at all!!!])! So my second challenge: think of something you don't enjoy and then make it into a game – let your creative senses roam and remember that you choose your 'tude and even chores can be made fun!

Alas my good friends, it is time to "hit" the "sack." Good night all!