There’s a magic in the way children live. They run, laugh, fall, and jump back up again without the slightest concern for how they look doing it. My grand-nephews and grand-nieces remind me of that every time I see them. So does Sully. When he’s lost in play—building, splashing, or laughing so hard he can barely breathe—there’s no pretense, no self-consciousness. He’s just being, fully and freely.
Somewhere along the way, most of us trade that abandon for appropriateness. We worry about being respectable, about acting our age, about what others might think if we let ourselves be silly or exuberant. But the truth is, there’s a deep kind of wisdom in that childlike spirit. Kids don’t waste time hiding joy. They chase it.
Being a kid at heart doesn’t mean refusing to grow up. It means remembering that laughter is holy, wonder is necessary, and play keeps the soul young. It means dancing when there’s music, laughing when it bubbles up, and letting ourselves live fully instead of performing adulthood.
Maybe we’d all be better off if we picked up a toy now and then, ran through the yard barefoot, or let a giggle escape in church. Maybe growing up doesn’t have to mean growing dull.
Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.
To enjoy “playing” is very important to being “happy!”