My Inner Child

  There are times when I get tired of being an adult.  You know, of being the responsible one making sure certain things get done.  Worrying about paying the bills, cleaning up everything and trying to find time for me.

Sometimes, I just want to let my inner child lose.  That part that loves to go outside in shorts and t-shirt to play on the swings and swoop down the slide headfirst, doing a belly flop at the bottom.

There are times, I want to run through the sprinklers, letting the droplets fall on me and around me.  I want to walk through mud, letting the stuff just slide through my toes leaving me with that gooey shivery feel.

I'll let you in on a secret.  Sometimes I do let my inner child out.  Once in a while at work when no one is around, I'll skip down the halls just because I feel like it.  Sometimes, I'll take my shoes off and walk along the edge of the lake barefoot, just because I can.

I think being an adult can be overwhelming and causes way too much stress in our lives.  I know all the usual ways of beating stress but just once in a while I let my inner child out to play so I can be carefree and young.  I just love feeling as if I do not have anything to worry about.

Occasionally, in the mornings before work, I'll step out on the snow covered porch in my bare feet.  Yes, its cold. No, I can't be out there for very long.  I even hear my mother's voice telling me to come inside before my feet turn to blocks of ice and fall off.

I'm not sure I'll ever go down the side of a hill in a mud filled gully but I can stop to enjoy the blooming flowers.  I can pick those small wild flowers to take home and put on the dining room table, just like my mother did with flowers we brought home to her growing up.

Last night, I put on some music (ABBA) and just dances as if I didn't have a care in the world.  It was wonderful just dancing around and having fun. Did you know, its great exercise?

So take a moment to rediscover your inner child.  Take a minute to dunk your graham crackers in milk, blow the biggest bubbles you can so you scrape the gum off your nose, play boat with your celery, or just spread bubbles across the landscape as you have fun.