Playtime
I am drawn to movies that highlight female writers. Little Women, Sex in the City, Bridget Jones, Jane the Virgin, and Something’s Gotta Give, all feature inspiring female authors. I love watching Diane Keaton bang out a play in her beach house, SJP publish her columns into a book, or Jane type away at her telenovela while pregnant. Movies and books have the power to inspire me with stories of women following their writing dreams. Recently while watching the film version of Little Women, I was transported back in time to reading Louisa’s books as a shy little girl. Snuggled into a cozy nook of our home, I would escape into the stories of Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy. The movie also reminded me of the joy I spent growing up with my cousins. Christine, Nicole, Stephanie, Samantha and Sarah were little women, we just didn’t wear petticoats.
Some of my favorite memories include the times we spent creating plays, performing endless dance routines, writing our own newsletter, and interviewing each other for our pretend talk show. Our mother’s old bridesmaid dresses were the perfect costumes, ABBA and the Bee Gees albums provided our soundtrack, a typewriter inspired our newsletter, and we recorded our episodes onto my cassette player. The “a” key on the typewriter was missing so my pen name was Somi, and I wrote stellar reviews of Floshdonce and Greose. We were never bored, although our parents grew tired of watching our theatrical productions. My red boombox, a Speak n’ Spell, and the attic became our recording studio, our little sisters were our guests, although they struggled to articulate appropriate answers to our questions. We would entertain ourselves in that hot space and created together until we were called to dinner. With the exception of playing with Barbie’s, many of the activities that I enjoyed as a child are how I choose to spend my free time today.
As Ingrid Fetell Lee explains in her book Joyful, “play can put us in a powerful flow state which allows us to let go of everyday worries and be absorbed in the joy of the moment. The most joyful people I know manage to hold a space for play in their adult lives,” she explains. Not spending all of your free time catching up on tasks, but on finding that inner child and enjoying playtime with her will make you happier.
What do we fit into our day despite feeling overscheduled? Shining light on how we choose to spend our playtime can also help you if you are struggling to find your purpose. I was hired for my first job in development at Boston College after my manager reviewed my resume and learned that I created a charity golf tournament in honor of my late father. She turned to me in the interview and said, “if you like to ask for money in your free time, I imagine you are good at fundraising?” She took a chance on me once I discussed my passion for philanthropy.
When my husband Todd asked what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday, I explained my wish. A true kid at heart, Todd loves any type of outdoor play and enthusiastically began planning. I reached out to my cousins and asked if they could play golf on my birthday. It took thirty seconds for them to reply that they would both take off work to join me. I am an awful golfer, but I love playing anything outside. After a year of being trapped behind a mask and screen, it felt great to be on the golf course where I could be my loud self, my smile uncovered.
Summer is the season when even the most dedicated workaholics take vacations and enjoy time away from their work. I suggest we take note of what lights us up and makes us feel like a kid again. Whether it be with your cousins, spouse, or children, what really makes your smile beam? I am not suggesting that you need to plan an adventure across the country, or buy a trampoline for your backyard. It can be as simple as dancing around the kitchen to your favorite movie soundtrack and discovering the little men and women inside. Happy Summer!
