Seaweed faces are fun

Hi kind friend, 

This will be a quick one today. I've got cookies in the oven demanding my attention.  

I'm wondering, how do you feel about play? 

Play = A little silliness, childlike exploration, fun, simple delights.

So how do you feel about it? 

Any good at it? Feel excited by it? Actively feel repulsed by it? Think it's just for kids? Have no idea what I'm waffling on about? Again?

I'm asking because when I speak with sweet human beans who mention things like busy minds, much tiredness, ridiculous overwhelm and many genuinely challenging things, I notice how serious things are. They are serious. Serious things are serious. They are. 

But in my experience, human beings vastly underestimate their emotional agility. That is, the ability to move in and out of hard things and shake ‘em up with other things. Perhaps there’s a myth buried deep in us that says something like:

“No way, I can't feel lovely things cause too many hard things are happening all around and up and down. I don't even deserve to feel lovely things." 

Yuck. That's a super shit myth.

Here's why. 

Hard things and lovely things are best buds. In fact, they can't really exist without each other and they're both always hanging around, down 2 party, anytime. They make each other better. The thing is, the hard things can sometimes steal the freaking show. Too many drinks for that guy. They can get RUDE AND LOUD, A LOT. So in these moments, we need to make lots of space for lovely things. 

I know, I know, I know. It ain't easy. When the shit hath hitith the fan the last thing we can and want to do is feel good but hear me out. 

Small moments matter. 

When we choose to play in small, seemingly insignificant moments, then sweet feelings become slightly more accessible. We can play, be weird, strange, nonsensical and dare I say it, a little messy - right here and now. A silly hum or an eyebrow dance. Let it be easy and simple to feel joy. 

Play doesn't need preparation. It doesn't mind the maddest parts of our mind. In fact, it probs prefers it. Play can even help us to be okay with these parts. Play just requires an eff-ton of courage and big ol handful of safety. 

Disclaimer: FUN IS PERSONAL

Once, I sat in a very long class where the facilitators mandated their kind of fun. It was not fun. It was infuriating. That was not fun. Don't have my fun. Have your fun. In saying that - here's my fun. IN YOUR FACE. 

It's some seaweed… with faces because why not? 

Did it take me way too long to create that rubbish? 

Why yes, yes it did. 

Did I have a sweet giggle at myself? 

Why yes, yes I did. 

Now you go! 

Play. Have some of your kind of fun. Let it be small and silly and wonderful and send it to me if you feel like sharing.

Omg! The cookies! 

Jokes, I'm not a wizard. I've had about ten breaks while this has been written, I got the cookies out of the oven and ate two of them already. Fun. 

Damn, I love writing these little letters to you.

Thank you for reading them and witnessing my seaweed faces. Such silliness. 

Hayley