The Twig That Made Me Smile

This morning on my dog walk, I had to watch where I was placing my feet because of the slippery mud.

I saw a twig and immediately thought: oh, there's Stick Man. And I smiled.

It made me wonder, do other people do that? Notice little moments during the day and smile? Let a playful thought enter your head?

I probably did it when I was little. I always had a huge imagination. But somewhere in my early adult life, it got lost.

Being busy. Proving myself. Life gets in the way.

These moments need presence. They can't exist when you're stressed out and only focused on what you're missing. The lack mindset isn't conducive to playful thoughts.

Being with my children brought this back.

It reconnected me with something basic I'd forgotten.

The joy at fart jokes. Their ability to lie in the garden with a book and let the day float by. Their excitement at digging a huge hole to create a pond - they were never particularly interested in the pond when we finished, but oh wow, did we love digging the hole.

Their ability to launch into things I would find scary. Pure abandon. Relishing the challenge.

I realised we could have fun together, but it only happened when I relaxed and let go. Said yes to more things. Let the children lead. Followed the curiosity.

Somewhere along the way, I'd forgotten how to play.

Not play with my children, I could do that. But play with life. Notice a twig and think "Stick Man" and smile to myself.

Let a day float by without feeling guilty about what I wasn't achieving.

Dig a hole for the joy of digging, not because I needed a pond.

Launch into things without overthinking every possible outcome.

Home educating my children gave them freedom to learn in their own way.

But it also gave me permission to remember how to be present. How to notice. How to smile at a twig on a muddy path.

Those little playful moments aren't frivolous. They're proof you're actually living your life, not just managing it.

When was the last time you let a playful thought enter your head? When did you last say yes to something just because it sounded fun?

What would change if you gave yourself permission to notice the Stick Man moments?