I was standing at the end of my driveway this evening and gazing in wonder at the colors in the western sky. What caught my attention the most, though, was a little boy playing alone in the leaves in the street, and in his elderly grandmother’s front yard. He saw me and I waved and he kind of halfway waved back. Then he continued playing.
I thought back in my own life to what I think is his age, about five years. It was common for me to play outside, alone, finding all sorts of things to do. If friends were around then we would all play. If not, I always found interesting things. He was doing the same thing, exploring the world around him. Throwing leaves from the street into the wind, as many of us have done. Picking up rocks and playing in the dirt, maybe writing words or making drawings. I used to dig army foxholes for all my army men.
This kind of play is good and essential for overall good development of a child. We learn autonomy, creativity, skill building, resourcefulness, things tat will benefit us for our entire lives.
These were all things I reflected on while watching my down the street neighbor’s grandson play on his own. These reflections led to my own memories of things I did.
So take time to reflect, remember, and make yourself smile.