Do grown-ups need to play?

This is, of course a question that my daughter asked me quite a few months ago. Obviously, I haven't posted in quite a while, for whatever reasons. But, this is a question that really stuck with me. She's a smart person. She notices that adults have trouble playing. And specifically, we have trouble playing WITH young people.

"Yes", I replied to her, "but the often forget that." She is good at reminding me about staying present, and about working out and releasing our problems as they are happening, or as soon as possible. She likes to work things out through play, preferably, with loving, active, attention from a loving adult, often (but not always nor only) me.

One of the major themes of her life is missing her Papa. I am blessed to be a stay at home parent. Her father is blessed to have a job that supplies us with the money that we use to live here on planet Earth, and to live the life we live together. And yes, she (we) wishes that he could be home with us all the time, (and have money). So we play games where he's home, and we talk to him, and answer for him. We just started doing this around the time Aminah asked me this question, (last spring, I think). So one morning, we played a lot in bed before coming down for breakfast. I was really hungry. Aminah was wanting to play something and I was wanting to eat, but not cook, and then go and do something that I wanted and needed to do before starting to play with her. She kept insisting that I play with her, and I applaud her for not giving up on what she thinks is important (I mean this most sincerely, though sometimes it makes it more challenging to deal with). So I got angry, and said "NO" urgently and lacking warmth and love. She looked really hurt, and I caught myself. "How about we play about this instead of me getting mad?" (a pattern of mine that we could all do without). So I yelled out to the kitchen, "Hey Papa! Please make me and Aminah some breakfast, so I can play with her and not worry about how long it will take to make breakfast!" which really helped me to playfully explain to her why I had lost my temper (I had been worrying about feeling hungry and the time it took to make eggs--which yes, I know is fairly quick, but not always when you let your feelings get in the way of reality.). We both started laughing. She yelled something out to him too, but I forget what just now. The entire situation turned around. I came back to present time, all through play. We got to play while making and eating breakfast, then we figured out the rest of our morning with a more loving and playful tone.

Yes, grown ups need to play too, and they do tend to forget how helpful genuine play can heal and help bring us into the present moment.