Play Day

For most of my career, I have worked on at least some of the national holidays. Whether it's news or entertainment, television doesn't necessarily stop for commemorations and for start of or middle of or end of summer sales. Today, however, I was free and clear. And while there were chores to be done, I embraced the day for what it gave me--a day to spend with my kids--not me at work with them at home on their own or with a sitter. Not me cleaning all day with them watching videos or doing homework. Today, we all played, at least a little, and it felt good.
 
It is not always easy to stay in sync with the myriad schedules that rule our lives. School vacations don't always correspond to work vacations, free times for kids don't always match up with free times for adults. I have spent years working while my kids played, and some years with available time when they had none. Today, we were together, free both in time and in spirit. There were games, and laughter, a little cooking, and a brief putting aside of some of the responsibilities that control us daily.
 
Not every day can be a play day. There is work to be done, and there are things to accomplish, and the clock rarely stops for long enough for us just to play. But I was reminded today how important--and enjoyable--it is to grab a play day when we get one--for the laughter that we otherwise miss, for a view of our family that we often don't get, for the literal and figurative fresh air that we don't always breathe.
 
Tomorrow, it will be back to work and back to school. But because of our play day, we will all return to normal life just a little more ready to face whatever comes.