Play

By: Gabriela Yareliz

“How often do you go on vacation?” the sales associate asked us dutifully. When we told him this was the only one in recent history, I saw a mix of shock and slight pity flash across his face.

It triggered a small wave of shame that I decided to shake off quickly. Who never takes vacation? Who only lives to work? I felt slightly pathetic. There has got to be a better way, where you work hard and play hard, right?

I am still carrying that moment with me. Our time away was lovely, and our hotel was stunning (truly). Leave it to my husband to book something extraordinary and a perfect birthday dinner.

When we returned to NYC, turns out Ubers can’t pull up to the airport (which I did not know because I never travel). There was a long line for taxis. A family that did not fit in a taxi all together and refused to be split up, so they departed in frustration and exhaustion. Arriving to NYC is sort of like the St. Denis Medical coffee machine that sprays you in the face instead of going into your cup.

Still, home is home.

Time away highlighted for me that I want to explore more play. This had me thinking of a passage I related to in Emma Grede’s Start With Yourself:

“I don’t know if I’m serious by nature, or I just skipped that part of childhood where you learn how to be carefree, but I couldn’t relate to the other kids. I’ve never been carefree; I don’t know what that would even feel like. But I have found ways to feel a lot of joy.”

How many of us feel like Emma or can related to Emma to some degree. Unlike Emma, I do want to crack the code on being a more carefree person. I am convicted that it’s important to know how to play, because play can be a huge conduit for joy.

There are many summer lists circulating— reading lists, how to have a 90s summer lists, beach bucket lists, etc. I think we should all make a fun list, and plot at least three things to look forward to.

Let’s all “prepare for the future” with play.