born to play

In the morning Lillian will down 8 oz. of milk, eat 1 blueberry waffle, consume 2 pieces of fruit–strawberries, and then top it off by sharing some scrambled eggs with daddy. Phew. I know… the girl can eat, right? But after all the chow, she’ll either read with me or with mommy. Recently, I realized something about my little girl: She can only stand so much processing. I discovered over the weekend that I’ll spend anywhere from 1-2 hours in one sitting just talking with Lillian after breakfast. I’ll read to her on a number of topics, ranging from belly buttons to moons and stars. I’ll point things out in the room, advising her how to open and close doors. I’ll tell her to repeat words I use. I’ll ask a ton of questions; the popular one lately is: “Where are your eyes?” She loves to point at them and pretend she’s putting contacts in them like her mommy does every morning. Hilarious. And then I’ll talk to her in Chinese, asking her even more questions in a completely unknown language. Eventually Lillian will start to whine; she’ll complain a few more minutes and point to the window (which she calls a nee-noe). She’ll then walk to the front door and say with great conviction: “auw-size (outside)… pay, pay, pay (play).” In other words, I can’t take all these questions! My brain needs a break, daddy. Let me out!

I read in the NY Times on how recess increases a child’s ability to academically perform well. Much like a nap can increase the productivity of a person during the middle of the day, burning off some steam increases a student’s capacity to perform. All of this only validates the truth that when God made these bodies of ours, he made them to experience physical stress which heals or recharges the soul/heart/mind. There’s something spiritual, then, about playing well too.

It reminds me that far too often we tell youth to get out there and study! Get up really really early. Do class time for up to 5-6 hours a day; read 4 or so more hours after school and if you’ve got any juice left upstairs, they should go study some Bible at youth group. Dude, that’s when even I start repeating Lillian’s favorite phrase: “Pay, pay, pay.”

I just think there’s a point in which a human being has to let the brain stop memorizing numbers or math equations, historical facts, chemistry charts, English lit. quotes, and yes, Bible verses… everyone needs to get out and run like crazy. We were made to be absolutely reckless on a basketball court, do laps around a track, swim laps, move stuff from one end of the yard to the other end, lift something heavy so that our mind can rest.

So on that note I think I’ll go for a run!