When Is The Last Time You Skipped?
When is the last time you skipped?
That’s right. Skipped.
Lifted one leg and jumped forward slightly and then repeated the motion on the other side.
Remember what it felt like to skip along?
Is there anything else that feels as much like pure joy as skipping?
I distinctly remember coming home from school as a young girl and being so happy to be home that I would skip to my room. Over the rug with flowers and a black and dark green background, into my room. Excited about the possibilities of creating worlds with my toys, and making Lego houses for all my matchbox cars. What a time it was, to be a curious child.
But somewhere along the way, we lost that spark of joy. We lost the ability to give skipping its time in the sun. We lost our innocence.
I recently saw a young child in the airport. She was riding along the moving walkway. You know the one that makes us get to our destinations faster? Yeah, that one.
The mom was watching the young girl with a small smile on her face, letting her be a child. The little girl was running backwards on the walkway, trying to catch up with the beginning of it. She had a goofy smile on her face, loving the simple game she just created for herself. And the mother said nothing, just smiled at her young girl.
I realized in that moment. I realized that we do not allow ourselves simple, silly joys as adults. And all at once, I felt so sad. I looked around at the adults at my gate, and each one looked more miserable than the last. Maybe it was the lighting in the airport, but I could see their deep frown lines and the blue-ish tint of the bags under their eyes. I looked back at the little girl, who ended up sprinting to her mother with a huge grin on her face.
I am not going to be this miserable person, I thought. I can’t be. When did we let life make us into these serious robots? When did we let the little joys be stripped away from us?
So, my friends. Try to skip along today. Try to sprint with a smile on your face. Try to make a silly face at yourself in the mirror, or have a little conversation with your dog. Let yourself find joy again in the small measures of life.
When is the last time you skipped?
