This writing space of mine feels like a hug every time I step into it. The walls smile at me from angel paintings, kid pics, inspirational quotes, and decorative reminders of treasured friendships. Today, as I sent up a prayer to the Holy Spirit asking for some inspiration for this blog, I found myself drawn to my “YOU ARE MAGICAL” cup.
Therefore, thanks to this Zen-looking unicorn, I am going to share with you ways in which you can whip up some magic in your life. I went with my spirit-inspired gut on these. There are thousands more I could choose from, but let’s start here:
- Play.
- Dance.
- Sing.
- Paint.
- Swim.
- Hike.
- Call.
- Doodle.
Play: My daughter tapped gently on my office door about an hour ago, creaking it open enough to say, “Can you help me with this?” I paused from my ponderings and turned to nod her in. She held up the drone she had received as a Christmas gift. Flown once. Into a tree.
“Sure,” I semi-sighed . . . my to-do list already delayed by a few hours after an unplanned trip to the pediatrician for her sore throat.
We decided a second attempted launch from the cul-de-sac might work best. It still ended up in the tree. Oh boy. Swimming pool pole to the rescue! A few tries later, we had it hovering. After a crash landing into the neighbor’s garden and one bounce off of mom’s car, we had figured out the thumb-controlled-do-hickey-thingys (can you tell I’m a serious gamer?).
We laughed, ducked, screamed in fear as it careened toward us (okay, that was me), and had a fun mommy-daughter moment figuring out how to maneuver the drone over driveways and around mailboxes.
Get out there and play. A board game. A card game. A video game. Monopoly or Spades or Wii Just Dance 2018. Or toss a football, grab a hula hoop, jump on a trampoline. Having a twelve-year-old around helps!
Dance: I have a friend who teaches an amazing dance class. I’m hoping to get back to it as soon as this old-lady knee of mine strengthens. Be sure to check it out, if you are in the Cincinnati area. Amanda is ahhh-mazeballs!
But, this knee won’t stop me from popping in those Wii dance games and getting my groove on, battling it out with my kiddo for first place. Or dancing in my car. My middle child loves it so when I car-dance at red lights < – – – sarcasm font! And sometimes, I just blast a good song from my Pandora station while I write, push my office chair aside and get down with my bad self right here in my Zen space. Zen and disco can co-exist, right?
Sing: Sometime I can hit those Mariah notes. Sometimes not so much. But, I can ALWAYS belt out “Lady” by Little River Band. Every. Damn. Time.
My oldest son can rap like no one I’ve ever heard. Brilliant. My youngest son is moved (like his momma) by the lyrics, the singers’ stories, the tales behind the rhymes.
Music touches me on a soul level. And I let that move me.
Sing it out, people. Whether you are Harry Caray or Mariah Carey. Release your soul’s music.
Paint: My dad was an artist. My sister has had her artwork featured in galleries. Me? Not so much. I can’t even draw a straight line with a ruler.
So when a friend invited me to one of those painting parties at Cheers to Art, I literally laughed out loud. But, I decided it would be fun to at least drink the wine that was part of the package deal. I was completely blown away by the fact that my “sunbeams coming through the trees” painting actually ended up looking like sunbeams coming through the trees.
Grab a brush (and possibly some wine) and set your inner-Rembrandt free.
Swim: I have combined “quality kid time” and “exercise” with this one. My daughter and I have a little contest going every night, barring thunderstorms obviously, seeing who can finish our laps in the pool in the quickest time. She keeps bumping the goal by five laps each day. We are up to fifty-five as of yesterday.
My dad was not a swimmer. He was terrified of it. And not much scared that six foot six inch papa of mine. So, my advice is this, if you fear the water, grab one of those donut rings, stay in the shallow end, make sure another person is always with you, and just float. Let your hands skim the surface, watch those little bugs swoop in for a drink, let your soul dance with the sunbeams glistening on the splashes, allow the weightlessness of your body to float peacefully through the water.
Hike: My favorite place is anywhere I can hear a bird singing or a wave crashing, smell the sweetness of the forest or the saltiness of the ocean air. So strap on those hiking shoes or beach trekkers and hit it.
There is something magical that happens when we put the to-do lists away and allow ourselves permission to immerse ourselves in nature. I find my greatest peace when I find a bench at our local nature preserve and just sit. With no agenda. I merely allow it fall upon me. The sounds, the smells, the sights, the creatures, the sensations, the energy, and the tranquility.
Call: Reaching out to a friend, a family member, even a business acquaintance, via a phone call to check in can brighten our days with some much needed connection. I am a texting fan. It’s quick. It’s easy.
However, I know, for me personally, I also need some depth. And I find that through my chats, whether face-t0-face or phone calls, with others. I love my hour long catch-up calls with my son who lives in Denver. I treasure that time together.
Check on a friend today. Even if it’s just five minutes while driving to the store (using your hands-free feature . . . safety first, pumpkin!).
Doodle: Again, not an artist. My doodles always look somewhat toddlerish. But, I love doodling in my journals. Hearts, flowers, more hearts, smiley faces, hearts again, sunshine and trees, and possibly another heart. And angels.
Drawing can be a way to express something we might be struggling to find words to release it. I have used this coping skill with kids struggling with anxious feelings.
I look at this list, now that I’ve finished typing, and I realize that magic is created by setting our inner child free. Play, dance, sing, paint, swim, hike, call, and doodle.
Well, I’m off to let the kid beat me at some pool laps. Then maybe I’ll challenge her to a game of Battleship. She’s going down!
