We all have the potential to be fun loving, but then life happens. Remember when you were young and you weren’t responsible for anything but yourself? How easy it was to be somewhere on time! How easily you and your friends erupted into giggles! As adults we need to find a way to find our inner child, our fun loving self.
It’s a LOT. Back in high school, we didn’t have to worry about losing our job, whether or not we were being a supportive enough spouse and of course, how bad are we ruining our children’s lives. Life is hard. Adulting is hard. I am a pretty serious person by nature and so my fun-loving self comes out less and less as the responsibility mounts. I mess up every day and every time I have to say, “I’m so sorry…” my lightheartedness retreats just a little bit more.
Last night, I spent the night with a high school friend. We went out to eat, went to a moonshine tasting (she lives in Tennessee), sat around and watched The Outsiders and looked at old picture albums. We also talked about beloved family members we had lost and our wonderful memories of them. I had zero responsibility. I didn’t have to talk about anything I didn’t want to. In short, I had the best time!
We all need a friend who reminds us of the lighthearted days before we started worrying about our children, our spouses, our parents, our jobs, our pets, our mortgage, our church. Someone who will call us out when we need to be called out, but is all too happy to have a stress-free night with no thought of any heavy stuff, the daily grind. At one point I made the comment that I had not worked out that morning and she said, “You can go ahead, I’ll watch you.” This just illustrated for me how silly some of my worries are! She was more interested in spending her time watching the likes of young Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze and Ralph Macchio, among others.
Find a way to completely unwind. I didn’t even realize what all I had been carrying around until I laid it down for a bit. Whether it’s a girlfriend, a night out or just a stinking nap, make sure you find a way to set it all aside sometimes. Erma Bombeck said, “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved away dessert!” Part of taking care of yourself is letting it all go at times, no matter how heavy it is.
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