The Essence of Play

"The Essence of childhood, of course, is play, which my friends and I did endlessly on streets

 that we reluctantly shared with traffic." - Bill Cosby

A room full of toys; stuffed animals, barbies, coloring books. You name it, Bea has it all, somewhere. Toys and gizmos that would most definitely keep a child happy and occupied without a care in the world for days and days.

But I’ve come to realize it’s not the number of toys she has, it’s her imagination that is important. A gift from God that we must never lose - no matter how old and “responsible” we become.

Yesterday, after lunch, I sat at the kitchen table with Bea and watched her create Il Lago di Pasta, or, Lake Pasta. A simple kitchen bowl filled with Winnie the Pooh pasta, water, and Hello Kitty toys. 

Sounds simplistic, as it was, but as I watched her intently, I could almost see the gears in her head turning; she was developing a masterpiece and her imagination was taking her to far off places.  

For a good hour Bea’s creativity soared through the roof and I couldn’t help but smile. The energy surrounding her and her happiness at the simplest task was contagious.

It was then I realized the utmost importance of play. I recall craving long, hot summer afternoons at “Castle Park” with my mom and brother, or running my “Wolf Den” restaurant in the basement of my house. I could be anyone and anything I wanted to be, with a few toys and my imagination, I ran the world and 

accomplished all my dreams.

Through play and imagination we develop our sense of self - what we want to be when we “grow-up”.

If we can make our imaginations become realities at the age of 4, why now, when we are older, can’t we do the same?

I believe we can.

By watching Bea I realize I can let my imagination soar and I can accomplish anything I want. 

A little imagination, a pinch of creativity, and a towel to clean up the mess and we all can find our joys, even if they are as simple as Lake Pasta.