Hey, Friend! The older I get, I’m finding that there are things I could easily do as a kid that aren’t so easy anymore. One thing’s for sure, I didn’t have to have regular pep talks with my knees and lower back! Other things, even if they weren’t the easiest for me, I find extremely difficult now:
Finding time to read
Making friends
Having fun (without guilt)
Talking on the phone (willingly)
Connecting with family
Sleeping
I could go on, but one thing I’ve lost that I’m fighting to hold on to from childhood is the whimsy.
Remember when it didn’t take much to be entertained or impressed? All it took was a rope, and we could jump for hours? Here’s how I found out nostalgia will make a fool out of you.
For a little exercise razzle-dazzle, I bought a special mat to reduce impact on my joints and whatnot. After about three minutes, my chest burned! In all honesty, it felt like I was being consumed by TV static.
As I’ve said before, I’m a complainer, not a quitter. Instead of giving all the way up, I pivoted. I bought a hula hoop. For a fact, I was a hula hoop queen as a kid! You can ask my mama.
My question: Who made hula hooping hard?
No manner of hip thrust, whirl, or twirl was keeping that thing up. I was in my garage looking like SpongeBob trying to bring it around town! I even shamelessly leaned against my purple treadmill and Googled “how to hula hoop.” I even gave it a stern talking to, asking it, “What is the problem!?”
Did I blame the hoop knowing it wasn’t the hoop? Naturally. Did one of my kids come to try it and shame me into stat dust? Of course! Did I have a blast as I kept trying? Absolutely! I played around with the thing until my sides were sore. (That night, I felt like I needed ice packs for my whole circumference.)
I have a health journey ahead of me, and I at least plan to make it as fun as possible. Whimsy and wellness!
Question for you, my friend: What childhood thing can you bring back to add a little whimsy to your adult life?
Whimsy. Go get you some. It just may be the thing you need and didn’t even know.
Leave a comment here or on one of my social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn.
Let’s see where the conversation takes us. Until next Sunday…
-Ash