PLAY-TITUDE #21: HAVE A DATE WITH YOURSELF

Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
~Veronica A. Shoffstal

Yesterday evening, I realized that my weekend was jam packed with things to do and I began to be anxious as to how they could all possibly get done.  I looked over my weekend list—much of which are regular weekend tasks, some of which are wedding preparations, as my daughter’s wedding is only six weeks away, some tax preparation.  Not much play.  Not much fun.  I have found that taking “have-to” tasks and choosing playfulness within the tasks works, but I have also found that not doing something purely playful for too long sours the playful pursuit.  AND I had promised myself that I would have a weekly date with myself and by myself in this month of playfulness—and Saturday was the day it was planned.  My dilemma—how to do both with an attitude of celebration of me?

Hmmm.  My usual response in this situation is to forgo the date.  Or postpone the taxes—both of which are not good for me.  One is getting rid of fun for the sake of ‘to do’ and the other is procrastination of a disliked but necessary activity.  My first decision in this dilemma was to choose both the ‘to do’ and the date and figure out how best to do it.  I began to look at my ‘to do’ and look at my need for time.  What and when can I enjoy just by myself.  My ‘to do’ got moved around so much of the later afternoon would be freed.  What can fill it?  I thought about going to a museum.  Would I like to go to a park and take a hike?  Would I like to go to a gallery?  How about take time with my watercolors to experiment?  Would I like to cook something delicious?  How about a movie?  I poured over ideas and searched the internet for the just right thing for me for this Saturday afternoon.  What would be fun and rejuvenating on a busy Saturday?

The message for my day as I pondered my date and my busyness became “Celebrate You” throughout the day.   I looked at my ‘to do’ list and thought that I didn’t want to wait till the mid-afternoon when I carved out my ‘date time’.  I will celebrate me in the busyness as well.  While I am at Weight Watchers I will celebrate my going—regardless of outcome.  I will celebrate me as a grocery shop—buying food to nourish my body and my spirit.   I will shop for shoes for me for Rachel’s wedding and a suit for a family member who is disabled—celebrating my desire to look great for that day and celebrating my desire to give to others.  I will clean a room in my house and I will work on taxes to celebrate loving my space and my financial responsibility.  Then, I will have my date.  I decided to go to my favorite local theater to watch a movie that I have been wanting to see.   Down time and laughing time.  Just with me.   And the evening—I have things I need to do and most likely will do them, but I am leaving the evening open to see what I feel like after a very full day.

It is matter of perspective.   When I approached my day with dread, my day was heavy.  When I changed my perspective, lightness came in.  Today I will celebrate me by being playful in all that I do.  And, I will create space to recreate—just for and with me.  Both are important.

Walt Whitman says, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself.”   What song are you singing today?

I am off to celebrate as I start this day.  And I love the song I am singing!

PLAY-TITUDE #21:  I CELEBRATE MYSELF AND SING MYSELF

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