“If school days are the happiest of your life, I’m hanging myself with my skiprope tonight.” – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a 1945 note to her boyfriend
Most of us can relate to Jackie O’s sentiments here, as we’ve all experienced the angst and heartbreak that comes with growing up. But we can also all relate to the joy we felt when school was finally out for the summer.
It’s a feeling that you miss when you’re working a 9-to-5 job or running your own business. With no institution-imposed calendar to tell you it’s time to play, it’s easy for play to get pushed waaaay down to the bottom of the to-do list or scrunched into a week vacation every year.
I worked with a personal coach recently and when she asked me to tell her what I did for fun, she listened to my list and replied, “That all sounds like work to me!”
After some coaxing, though, she convinced me that our bodies and our minds need playtime just as much today as they did when we were youngsters. In fact, these days it might be even more important!
So instead of just scheduling playdates for your kids, maybe it’s time you started scheduling playdates for you!
I’ve talked often about Julia Cameron’s Artist Dates before. These are one-hour weekly dates with yourself (just you, no children, spouses, or significant others allowed) where you get to play or explore or revisit things that bring you joy.
A bike ride. A museum exhibition. Building sand castles. Picking strawberries. A picnic in the park.
As we get older and take on more responsibilities, so much of what we love to do tends to go on our “someday” list. We’ll get back to it someday. We’ll do it tomorrow. Or next week.
I give you permission and challenge you to find an hour this week just for you.
Go play and see how energized you feel. See how your mind re-opens itself to new possibilities. See what ideas come flowing in when you’re not interrupted every few minutes or (seconds!) by family or co-workers.
And if you need even more inspiration to get into a playful, summer spirit, grab today’s VPOD, a sunny summer playsuit from the 1950s.
While you may not have many opportunities to wear these two pieces as a set, the bandeau top would look great under a crisp white blouse and the shorts just need a tee, some killer sandals and a few rockin’ accessories to take you on many a playdate.
It’s a fun summertime find for a vintage fashionista!
Available at Clever Vintage. | Discovered at TheFind.com.
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