you're invited to a play date!

Friday November 17th | Kislev 5784

My latest “adulting is hard” feeling sparks the question, why is it so difficult to play once we become adults?? It’s too easy to fit everything on the daily, weekly, and monthly to do lists into boxes, focusing on getting everything done, connecting with the people you want to see, getting the workout in, being good enough at your job, and figure out the whole self-care thing, and then oh yeah, maybe there’s time to play? Not to mention there’s a war going on! Ugh! Anyone else relate???

This week, my therapist pointed out my level of exhaustion. It’s funny to me because this week in comparison to the entire year of 2023, is nothing. But sometimes, when I”m so focused on trying to check off all my little boxes - work, exercise, social life, errands, etc. rest can easily fall off the list - tricking myself to think I can push through it, brush it off again. A lifetime lesson I think I will always be learning and re-learning at this point. This conversation with my therapist made me realize that even though I approach many parts of my life with so much intention, it might not be such a bad thing to let go of that approach, and leave more room for “free flowing joy” as she called it. 

How would you define free flowing joy??? Is that adult play? Is that spontaneity? All things I feel especially challenged by this week for some reason. 

We entered into a new lunar month this week, Kislev. In this month we celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday of illuminating light! The deeper dive this month is the opportunity we have to dissect what “embodied trust” means. I attended an At The Well global new moon call this past week, and they shared a story of Adam and Eve. Not the story you would assume…the story of Adam and Eve’s first winter, when the days kept getting colder and darker. Adam and Eve were convinced that the world was ending, so they prayed and prayed. Eventually, the light began to grow again. The winter solstice occurred, and the days started to get longer again. More light. 

Thank goodness we know the world isn’t going to end even though our days are filled with less light this time of year. This month of Kislev, our challenge is to dig deeper to find our own light. Maybe that’s literally thinking about the light of the menorah, but also maybe it’s digging deeper to find the time, and the permission to play. To connect to the light of our inner child. We were all kids at some point. Why not let them out to play more often??? As we get deeper into winter, deeper into our mundane daily to do lists, the need to play will only help to energize us. I think we all need to play more than we know…

This Shabbat, imagine with the people at your Shabbat table, the first three people on your text messages, or with yourself in your journal… 

• What is your absolute favorite way to play? 

• When was the last time you connected to your inner child? How do they like to play? 

• Can you replace something on your mundane to do list with a playful outing? 

• One way you will play this Shabbat is: _________. 

This week sparked for me the need to connect to my own inner child and to re-imagine my relationship to play. I’ll end with an invitation for a play date. I’m serious! If you’re willing, please share your reflections with me. I want to know what your version of play is. Maybe I can join in on all your fun! Or maybe you're stumped like me and we can discover our version of play together. Whatever your answer is, I wish you the most playful and peaceful Shabbat!

Ethically,

Emily