“Reinvigorated and Replenished”
Thank you, Marya [Marya Axner, International Liberation Reference Person for Parents], for your post about parenting and having fun. [See the article “The Importance of Play,” by Marya Axner, on page 43 of Present Time No. 209.] I saw it at the perfect moment.
For some time, I hadn’t been much fun around my fourteen-year-old daughter. Then after I read your post, I turned things around [changed things] in our family. Living through the pandemic has been stressful and hard. I’m a willing listener, kind and supportive, but play had not been happening!
My daughter instantly jumped at [was eager to accept] the invitation to play, and we’ve played at every opportunity since then.
One night when we were playing together, she laughed until she cried. Then she loudly sang renditions of her favorite Broadway songs—complete with full-on dramatic, animated dancing—until she was tired enough to sleep. She was delighted and full of herself [pleased with herself]. It had been a while since she and I had had that kind of playful and joyful time together.
In the days since then, my daughter has shown more of herself, laughed more, told me more. In just a few days our family has been reinvigorated and replenished in a way we have needed for a couple of years.
Being playful and enjoying ourselves and our children is revolutionary!
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of parents
(Present Time 209, October 2022)