Playdate? What planet is Klein on now?
“Playdate,” by definition, may be a toddler gig, but experiencing one enlivens and reorients us—at any age.
For instance:
- Daydreaming: Has it been awhile?
- Double takes: Remember, they’re quasi-athletic.
- Jaunts: Why not enjoy risk and exhilaration?
You might feel overwhelmed, over-digitized, overcome by a restless heart (or, restless mate/kids/grandkids) . . .
Troubled by global violence and civil unrest . . .
Weary of weeds and dust, arthritis, estrangement, too many guests . . .
Could it be you’re running low on respite, and short on play?
How about an Armchair Staydate, right here, right now? Preferably one that involves leaves (since I have pictures of them).
Let this amateur gallery jaunt evoke a few deep breaths. Double takes. Daydreams.
Taking if leaf by leaf
Is this one a mirror? Sometimes we mortals lurch around, flattened by life, emotionally spent, spiritually threadbare.
Lord knows, we’re trying to launch the project, get back in shape, meet the monster deadline.
We may be pushing through envy. Anger. Inhospitable circumstances.
One green sprig muscling through roadway re-frames hardship as possibility.
Oh, this dear earth! An ancient arrangement ensures leaves absorb our toxic carbon dioxide; we absorb their oxygen. I forget this. Remembering alters my view—altars my view.
Deep breath.
Where can I share a little life today?
. . .
Notice these flowers growing between a hard place and its shadow.
They don’t settle for blah. Or worse, bleak. They don’t forgo blooming until better conditions appear.
Deep breath.
Where will I inject fizz, or a dash of color today? A softening touch?
. . .
Leaf through the Book
We’re each like a tree planted by water, the psalmist tells us, “whose leaves do not wither.”
Sure as Hosta leaves steadily breathe out water vapor (thereby drawing up more moisture through roots and stems), we can exhale, pause, watch for what may transpire.
Deep breath.
In what way will I offer someone (including myself) a cup of cool water today?
. . .
No matter how we feel, we are not stranded, beached and alone beneath starless skies.
Sure as the moon with her silver pulleys hauls out the sea, the tide will change.
Might as well watch for surprise bouquets at our feet.
Deep breath.
Where will God surprise me today?
. . .
Sure as our brain’s firing neurons numerically compare to billions and squillions of stars in the Milky Way, light eventually reaches us—wherever we are.
Deep breath.
When did I last stargaze?
What new constellation of grace is emerging in those I love, and how do I call out shine?
. . .
“Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore.
There is always something to make you wonder
in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.”
—Albert Schweitzer
Life is precarious. Let’s take a page from The Leaf Playbook:
- Book a playdate (or staydate)
- Cultivate double takes
- Exha-a-a-a–le . . . and see what transpires
- Court surprise
- Wait for the Light
What’s your favorite playdate/staydate? I’d love some fresh ideas . . .
More daydreaming here: http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/creativity-and-distraction
More about double-takes here
More about jaunts here
For more ideas, dip into this wonder-full book: Playdates with God, by Laura Boggess