A few weeks back I was at the park with my daughter and
as she played I sat on the bench, watching all the kids climb
the jungle gyms, swing, and slide. It was such a relaxing
moment to just sit there and take in all the wonder and
innocence that children possess. The laughs, the smiles, and
even the occasional "hey mom/dad look at me, look at what I
just did" scream of excitement.
Watching them go from play-thing to play-thing with no
worries, no cares, was truly inspirational. But it made me
start to wonder... when is that point in our lives when we no
longer find the "joy in the sandbox" and start to overlook
life's simple pleasures?
At about that same time, the answer came by way of a crying
little girl - holding her knee. Yes, it was my daughter. After
I rushed over to comfort her and make sure she was not
seriously injured, we walked back to the bench where I once
sat. A few minutes later, she was fine again. I asked her if
she wanted to go play some more and she said, in a rather
shaky voice, "No Dad, I don't want to play anymore. I might
fall down again and get hurt again."
There was the answer to the question I was pondering. It's
not a certain point in our lives that causes us to lose the
excitement we found in the sandbox but rather a culmination of
negative experiences that build up fear and anxiety in our
lives. It is fear that often paralyzes us from pleasure in its
attempt to protect us from pain.
As we grow and mature from childhood to adulthood, we
encounter many experiences along the way (both physical and
mental) that can either protect us by teaching us lessons or
create fear, causing us to become overly cautious and
resistant to change and future happiness.
Take a relationship or a job for instance... someone might
have had a string of bad relationships where they were hurt
over and over. Eventually, they may become fearful of being
hurt again and decide it better to be alone rather than trying
again to find that perfect match. Or an employee who attempts
to land that big promotion, time after time, only to be shot
down or overlooked until they eventually loose the desire to
strive for success.
Life has a way of beating us up now and then but, as I told
my daughter (in language a 4 year old could understand), is to
not let the scrapes and scratches turn into wounds of
discontent. We have to remember the joy that we found in the
sandbox. Remember that even where there is pain, discomfort
and fear, there is often a lesson that is within. It's not
there to cause us to become so fearful that we become recluse
and shy away from experiencing life. It's there to help us
live life better.
This week, remember to find the joy in the sandbox. If you
have been experiencing some bumps and bruises in life,
remember that you are not alone. We all have hardship, some
more than others but it is all for a purpose. It's all in the
way you look at it and what you make of it. You can choose to
learn or choose to fear.
Be compassionate to others and know they may be living in
fear as a result of negative circumstances in their lives.
Reach out and help someone who may need a little reminder of
how much fun it was to play in the sand.
It starts with you, pass it on.
